#go to any job site and you’ll find 5 of him

[deniedbyskinner]

hope they liked wearing these outfits because they’re all going to the oil rig if they don’t turn things around

[thesaleswhisperer]

Dre Baldwin on The Sales Podcast

Professional Sales Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast ...

Former professional basketball player

Zig when others zag, which means sending personalized outreach

Do what doesn’t scale

“What is my competition not willing do that I will?”

He’s been making content since 2005

He has a process for researching ideal prospects

Send link to assistant to research

Assistant finds pertinent information and adds it to the CRM

He then makes the video intro

He’ll make 5-6 each day

Do enough that you can handle the replies

Related episodes and posts

Find The Best CRM For Your Team and Budget

Start Your Free 12 Weeks To Peak™

He was always a salesperson at heart but didn’t really realize it

He has a business degree and responded to a bulletin board post “make money”

It was an MLM and after a couple of meetings he learned how to disrupt the negative assumptions about making money, which his college professors never mentioned

He got into personal development

He started selling training products to basketball players who found him on YouTube

He only played one year of high school basketball then D3 basketball and made it to the pros, so people started finding him online for his mindset content

It took a while for him to realize that not everyone thought like he did

He stopped playing ball in 2015 and wanted to get into the professional speaking business

He applied to some TED talks and got accepted

Then he started writing books

Build your own audience and master DTC, direct-to-consumer

His mom was an educator who got her college degree when he was in college

He was not “found” by the pros

When he graduated college in 2004 he worked at Foot Locker store then Bally Total Fitness

He went to an exposure camp for basketball players: you pay to play for two days with 200 other players

Then he cold-called basketball agents, which was a flip in the script

He called about 60 agents and reached 20 and sent them a VHS tape that he recorded and one agent said he’d represent him in late 2005 and got him a job in Lithuania

He was blogging and sharing his videos on YouTube

He got his experience writing then other players had questions on how to play overseas

By 2009, he started thinking about how to leverage this into a business

2015 was his last season and he played with a different team every year

Not a fan of the news

Don’t follow or associate with the negative people

Find your lane in which you can succeed

Principles—never change, Strategies, Tactics—can change daily

Your mandate as an entrepreneur is to make money, which should remain very clear

If you don’t like running ads, don’t run them. Hire someone and keep your eye on them.

You can do this with any aspect of your life.

You can create content like podcasts

Become findable

Collaborate

Be consistent

When it comes to hiring staff, give them the “brief” that needs to be clear and detailed. You need to know what you want.

If you’re an expert, I believe you should be able to produce the results and explain it to me, so here’s $100; go make it happen and explain it to me

He’s not a fan of agencies…they are looking for their next client

Are you—or do you want to be—a top 2% performer? Join his program.

Mindset and strategic tools

His first coaching client was back in 2015 via Periscope

Around 2020, when speaking gigs dried up, he pivoted to more in-house stuff

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Phone Burner: work the phone like a machine so you can be a human when you connect.

GUEST INFO:

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Check out The Sales Podcast's latest episode

[21388]

TIPS FOR HIRING A LOCAL PLUMBER

Hiring a plumber to fix your gas or water issue can be a trickier task than you might imagine. It’s not easy to find or in hiring alocal plumber near youthat is skilled, efficient, doesn’t overcharge and importantly, is readily available. Since getting a good local plumber in your area is a do-once-reap-benefits-forever type deal, it is recommended that you take the time and patience to find one.

So we have put together the ultimate tips list for you to help you hire the best possibleplumbing professionalfrom your local plumber’s directory.

Get References, Read Online Reviews

Ask people that have availed theplumber’s serviceabout their experience. Before hiring aplumber, go through their site, Facebook page or Twitter feed if they have one to see how they interact with customers and what they say about him/her.

Before hiring a local plumber, Ensure They Have A License

A court assigned license is a basic and important clue that yourlocal plumberis legit. A license also means that you are insured from any catastrophe that might happen to you or your attached neighbour. Be wary of hiring low charging, shady plumbers that might do an incomplete job and cause more harm than good.

Ask How Long They’ve Been Doing This For

As they say, you can’t put a price on experience. A plumber who’s been in the business for a minimum of 5 to 10 years is a green flag for fixing yourlocal plumbingneeds. It’s another good sign if If they have a younger plumber accompany them as an apprentice. The quotation might be high, but the service you get will be at par.

Ask About The Guarantees They Give

Are they willing to offer a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the job? Do they offer a recurring maintenance service? You’ll always find that a professional who is confident in his/her abilities will put their money where their mouth is. It’s a great sign that they’ll do a good job and that you won’t be requiring their services anytime soon.

How Do They Give Their Quotation?

It’s possibly a bad indication if your plumber gives the pricing for fixing your problem over the phone. It’s not possible to know what repair costs are involved with a 100% surety until a plumber is physically present to inspect the issue. It’s unprofessional to quote one price over the phone, only to double it when they are in front of the job and see additional costs.

Comparison Shop

Lastly, feel free to take your time and make a list of a number oflocal plumbers in your areathat you can contact. After doing your research, asking questions on our tips above, gauging their ease of availability and getting a quotation, you’ll be able to figure out how good a job a local plumber is going to do fairly well. Compare and contrast your needs with their offered services to decide your best-fit option.

We wish you success in your plumber hunting endeavours!

Plumber Sunshine Coast –Sunshine Coast Plumbers– Plumbing Sunshine Coast

Source: https://www.ecoearthplumbing.com.au/tips-for-hiring-a-local-plumber-sunshine-coast/

[violettelueur]

— ITADORI YUJI + FUSHIGURO MEGUMI + GOJO SATORU + NANAMI KENTO || HAVING AN ARTISTIC S/O

↳ featuring : itadori yuji + fushiguro megumi + gojo satoru + nanami kento from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : grammar issues

↳ form : headcanons

↳ published : 27 january

↳ pronouns : non specified in headcanon

↳ request : Goodday Violettelueur.😊 May I order classic black coffee? Okay ummm can I request headcanons Gojo Satoru, Nanami Kento, Itadori Yuji and Megumi Fushigiro (spell I his name right?) x S/O that's talent creative like painting, drawing, sewing, kriting, tinkering.

↳ barista’s notes : good day to you too~ i decided to take the painter/sketcher approach to your request, so i hope you don’t mind ʕ´•ᴥ•`ʔ but guys, when i was looking for an imagine for this banner, i cried reading the manga again because if you know, you know...ʕ ꈍᴥꈍʔ BUT other than that, i hope you enjoy your cup of classic black coffee (jujutsu kaisen request!) and come again soon ╲ʕ·ᴥ·　╲ʔ

When Itadori finds out that you are creatively talented, this boy will always ask you if you are planning to draw/paint soon because he wants to watch you do whatever you choose to do.

It is known that Itadori is your number one fan and supporter and will cheer for you in the background quietly because he knows that you need to concentrate when you’re doing your thing.

When you are either painting or drawing, Itadori will always sit next to you with his head on your shoulder because he wants to see the process but mostly the final result.

If you are painting, Itadori will ask if he can help mix paints to make different colours for you since he doesn’t want to ruin the piece you are making.

Imagine him shyly using an extra paintbrush and just cutely mixing colours next to you - guys...I can’t, I’m going to start crying.

Even though he is nervous, when you want him to paint on your canvas, he would always ask you what colour to use and where to paint even when you tell him he can do anything he wants and you’ll go on from there.

During this time, he will apologise profusely when he thinks he has ruined the painting - so please tell him that he is doing a good job as he goes along, it gives him confidence.

Since he is your number one fan, he will take a picture of your sketches/paintings and shows them off to everyone like the proud boyfriend he is.

“Look! Look! Y/N drew this yesterday, isn’t it so cool?!”

Fushiguro and Kugisaki will be amazed but will get annoyed at Itadori constantly shouting at them to look at your art - “We already know Y/N is an amazing artist, you don’t need to keep telling us…”

If you gift him a painting or a sketch of him, this boy will cherish it with all his heart and will compliment on how well you got his features - you can’t tell me otherwise at all.

In conclusion, Itadori will be the proudest boyfriend ever and will show you off - not in a possessive way - it’s more out of happiness and cheeriness.

When Fushiguro discovers your artistic talents, he will invite you over to his dorm to hang out together as an excuse to see you draw or continue on what art piece you were doing before.

He knows that you don’t ever come to his room without your art supplies because usually, you both are in his room just silently with each other.

He will stay silent and leave you to continue your work - when you are in your dorm room - but expect him to keep coming back once every 5 minutes to admire your work over your shoulder until you tell him that he could say if he wanted.

His favourite sights to see is when you are on his bed laying on your stomach sketching away on your book or you sitting on a stool with your canvas and easel in the sunlight with the touch of his divine dog calmly laying on the floor beside you.

Sometimes, when you are in his room, you would ask him if he wanted to draw with you, to which, of course, he would deny the offer since he doesn’t want to ruin your sketchbook.

Once you convince him it’s fine, it is known on a daily occurrence that you would draw/paint on one page of your sketchbook and he would do the same on the other - if he can, he would hold your other hand.

When you are feeling bored, Fushiguro will allow you to draw on his arm since he knows it’s a coping mechanism for you - I don’t think he would wash it off anytime soon…

Unlike itadori, it is unknown to you that he takes pictures of you drawing/painting as well as your work - he probably has a whole folder dedicated to you and a picture of you painting is probably his wallpaper.

If you draw him, expect him to blush and ask why and if you tell him ‘it’s because you are pretty’ that blush will just go redder.

I don’t think he will show your talent off, not because he’s not proud but maybe because he wants this knowledge to only himself - like yours and his little secret I guess.

Overall, Fushiguro is someone that will admire your work but also want to somehow relate to you by joining in with your sketching sessions - he has some pride inside of him to have such an artistic partner but wants to keep that to himself.

When Gojo finds out that you can draw and paint, he will always try to find your sketchbook and canvas to see if you have done anything new without his knowledge - because curiously kills that cat right?

If you have drawn something without his knowledge, he will pout and complain to you on why you didn’t tell him about it

“Honey~ why didn’t you tell me you were going to draw this week? I wanted to watch you~”

If you draw/paint him in any way, he will get cocky and confident because, of course, he is an amazing subject to be used. 

Of course, Gojo has to be that one person that takes a picture of something and will ask you if you could draw/paint what is depicted on the phone screen.

He will also allow you to draw on him and expect him to take a few photos while you are doing so because he thinks you look adorable doing so.

He will also ask you if you want him to model for you - because he is confident in his looks - and if you say ‘yes’ make sure to say what you want to draw from him because he thinks you want to draw all of him.

When you are painting, do not expect a peaceful session, because this guy will play with your paints and paint-brushes.

What I mean by this is him dabbing a paintbrush into the paint before brushing it on your face or anywhere that you are showing skin.

His excuse will be because you are a masterpiece and he will continue to swipe white paint on your face and maybe your hair to ‘match with him’.

Gojo will also mix paint to match the colour of his eyes and will use it to paint on you also - he just loves to tease you.

If you paint of him, he will cuddle you to get you both messy with paint since it’s another excuse of his to have a shower together~

In conclusion, Gojo will always mess with you when you are drawing and painting, he wants to be the subject of most of your works but he is grateful that he has a talented significant other like you.

Namami will give you more privacy than his senior - Mr Gojo Satoru - because he has an idea on how much time and concentration it takes to make one masterpiece.

When you are in the middle of something, Nanami will make you some of your favourite beverage and place it next to you with a bowl of fruit or his favourite sandwich.

His favourite site of you when you draw is when you both go on a coffee date together and you sit next to him with your sketchbook in hand - he would have a soft look on his face as he admires you and the book.

When you are painting, it would be you that will brush some paint on him since why not help him have a little fun?

He will groan at you for being a bit annoying but once he hears you laugh, he will forget about the little incident since this moment is something he wants to appreciate with you.

If you do any artwork that is related to him, he would seem nonchalant about it but you know on the inside he is really proud of you.

He would admire the work for a long time even when you have gone to do something else and if you are sly about it, you could see him sitting on your stool with a small smile being displayed on his face.

When the painting has dried or when a drawing has been completed, he would gently trace the drawing and will ask for a copy of it - even though he already has a picture of it on his phone, he just wants more.

“It’s really incredible Y/N, thank you for doing this”

When you have finished your work for the day or if you are tired, he will help you clean up and place your work somewhere for it to be safe or to dry since he is really proud of your work and doesn’t want anything to happen to it.

He doesn’t really have pet names for you - usually, it’s darling, love or something endearing - but he will add a new one for you and he will call you his “little artist”.

Overall, Nanami is very discreet when it comes to you and your art but is really amazed by all your work since he is a person that takes everything to detail - sometimes he is shocked at how well you get every little detail into your work.

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[the-phoenix-heart]

10 Amazing Futurama Comics

There is a severe lack of Futurama content on this and other sites (seriously, the Night at the Museum movies have more fics than Futurama). And, nobody posts about the Futurama comics. So I’m posting 10 of my favorites.

10. Attack of the 50-Foot Amy (Issue #33)

It’s actually not as sexual as the cover makes it out to be. The basic premise is that Amy mistakes the can of growth spray (that Cubert and Dwight want to use for their science fair project) for hair spray and sprays waaaay too much before her anniversary date with Kif. Meanwhile, Bender teaches Fry the wonders of video piracy, but after he gets scared by a movie home alone style he eats his disc of pirated movies and starts uncontrollably acting them out. You can probably guess how these two plots connect.

While I do list this one as one of my favorites, it’s far from perfect. The artwork is good, but the scaling on Amy is very wonky so she looks more like a twenty-foot Amy (also Dwight’s eyes are drawn weird in this comic, he looks blazed out the entire time). But I cannot help but be charmed by this comic. It’s got some sweet Bender and Fry friendship moments and actually makes me believe Kif and Amy’s relationship for a little bit. They are very sweet in this comic, although Kif does go through some pain in this comic.

Best moments: They way they resolve the plot is actually pretty funny and clever, plus Bender hopped up on pirated movies is a joy. At one point Fry gets shoved by Steven Spielbot (don’t ask) and Bender goes all Rocky on his ass saying “No one talks to my gal, Adrian, like that!” It’s very sweet and...subtextual if you understand my meaning. This one also has anti comic book piracy message at the end which was ironic for me to read.

9. Doctor What (Issue #32)

The Professor creates a time traveling port-a-potty so that you can pee in whatever time and space you want, although it’s completely random. However, Zoidberg accidentally breaks the potty, so him, Leela, Fry, and Bender have to keep randomly flushing to get back home. On each of these new worlds Zoidberg keeps accidentally saving the citizens, getting medals, and ends up becoming addicted to the fame he keeps winning. Which leads to them getting stuck in a post apocalyptic New New York.

This is the infamous Leela-Bender-Fry fusion comic, Leelan von Fry-Bot. His backstory is actually a little sad, but I won’t spoil it here. This one is pretty good, because it has Zoidberg as the hero. Actually quite a few of these feature Zoidberg as a fourth member of the delivery crew which is weird, but not entirely unwelcome. It’s also fun to see these other worlds, and now that I think about it it’s actually a little similar to The Late Phillip J. Fry, what with the time travel to different interesting worlds.

Best Moments: I actually liked Leelan’s backstory, and his interactions with his “parents” (you’ll understand when you read it) are actually pretty funny and a little cute. Fry really wants to be a dad you can tell.

8. The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis II

The professor creates a device that takes characters out of their stories into the real world. Trouble is, he tells the mayor that this invention is useful because you can get slave labor out of the characters because they technically have no constitutional rights. The Simpsons end up working with the Planet Express crew, but an accident leads to the release of ALL FICTIONAL CHARACTERS EVER.

This is a sequel comic to the Futurama Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis (fun fact: a reference to several famous comic book arcs). I chose this one above it though because I think it understood the assignment better. The original is funny, but I just don’t think that Springfield is a good setting for a Futurama crossover. Springfield for all its zaniness, is not the future. New New York, however, is great for this crossover. We get several scenes where we see the Simpsons going through space and fighting off monsters. We even get to see the other residents of Springfield in the future, Mr. Smithers becomes a space pirate and Mr. Burns falls in love with Mom, it’s great.

Best Moments: Some of them I already mentioned, but I cannot stress enough how hilarious the Burns-Mom romance is, it’s especially good when you can hear their voices in your head. I also like the friendship the Simpsons have with the Planet Express crew.

7. Six Characters in Search of a Story (Issue #14)

This is a very interesting comic. The Professor falls asleep, so to pass the time the crew decides to look through his old failed inventions, and well, that’s a very bad idea. The most interesting thing about this comic is it’s designed so that if you want you can only read certain panels to follow one person’s story. The Futurama comics do this a lot of the time and it’s always interesting.

The shenanigans that occur in this one are really funny, and there are some great looking pages in this. Also the Futurama crew clearly took ideas from the comics, and this is one of them. You can tell from the cover art that this does have elements of “Benderama” in it, what with Bender cloning himself ad infinitum. I also really like the climax, it’s a little schmultz-y for Futurama, but I don’t mind.

Best Moments: Fry gets stuck with a Spanish speaking Bender and I don’t know why but it’s really funny to me. The professor also gets some funny moments in this one. And Scruffy. Scruffy is always a delight.

6. Igner-ance is Bliss! (Issue #63)

Yeah this is the infamous robot Leela and Fry comic. Don’t worry, like the cover says, it’s not as dramatic as it looks. The crew has to go to a world that’s too dangerous for humans, so Fry, Leela, and Zoidberg all have their consciousnesses put into robot doubles so they can make the delivery. However, it turns out this planet is a sort of getaway spa for robots, and the crew decides to party it up there, at least until Bender discovers that this is a front for an evil plot by Mom. The subplot is mostly about how Igner is not respected by his brothers.

This one is fun, and I love a comic where Bender has to be the voice of reason. It is clearly killing him to be the responsible one, but I love it. Also, I have a soft spot for Igner, so it’s nice to see him get thrown a bone for once. This also has some really fun jokes with everyone, but Zoidberg in particular gets some bangers. I think my only problem is it ISN’T as cool as the cover makes it out, but like I’m happy with what it is.

Best Moments: Fry beats up Bender at one point and wins, I think he deserved it. Also, y’all know Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars? He makes some cameos in this one. Also all the robots (sans Bender) make a Japanese style mecha and it’s the coolest thing ever. Plus everything I’ve said about Igner I love in this one. Oh also Fry beats Calculon at poker and I really love that.

5. Who’s Dying to be a Gazillionaire? (Issue #5)

This one is sweet. The IRS is threatening to bankrupt Planet Express, and if they can’t think of a way to make a million dollars they will go out of business. No one really has any ideas and doesn’t even really care, except for Fry who is determined to save Planet Express. He gets the idea to go onto Who Wants to be a Gazillionaire to make the money, even though it’s a trivia show and if he loses he will die.

This one really warms my heart, it’s Fry at his best, just doing what he can for the people he loves. Even the professor is great in this one. I don’t want to spoil it, but trust me when I say it’s good (god I hope I’m not building this up too much).

Best moments: The end panel. But also the resolution of the story is great, and I really appreciate this comic for Fry as a character.

4. Rumble in the Jungle (Issue #38)

This is a fine comic. Leela is mad that she’s not being respected by Fry and Bender, and it’s bad enough that they don’t believe her when she says they’re going to crash into a planet. They end up parachuting down and getting separated. Leela ends up as queen of some workers in the “Amazon,” meanwhile Fry finds Bender’s corpse and goes off to avenge him.

This one is fun, and another fun one for Fry, because he’s determined to avenge Bender and works hard for it. This also includes the original Frender, not the ship but fusion. Leela and Fry even have a fight scene against each other and it’s honestly great.

Best Moments: Fry is great throughout the entire comic, and Leela spends most of her time beating up random animals. Bender also using a lead parachute he made out of toys he stole from children is funny, especially because I’m always a sucker for Bender doing dumb shit.

3. Don’t Go Taking My Heart! (Issue #69) (nice)

Mom only has a couple weeks to live, unless she can get a heart transplant. It’s revealed that Mom uses the cryogenics lab to get new body parts for herself, and that Fry was supposed to be her heart donor! Unfortunately, because he was unfrozen she now has to get him to work for Mom Corp to make sure his heart stays intact for the procedure.

If you can’t tell I love the Fry-centric comics, and I also like the comics where Mom is the villain. Of course this comic doesn’t go completely how you expect it to go, it’s actually REALLY sweet. I also love the fact that in this comic Fry actually makes a great intern. He basically has the job of a secretary and he’s GOOD at it. And I love seeing when Fry is good at things. The reason why I put this at only 3 is because it doesn’t really have a subplot. Bender gets a job at mom corp to but it’s only there for a couple pages, and Leela’s new crew gets two panels and that’s it.

Best Moments: The moments with Mom and Fry, but also guess who Mom’s doctor is? I’m actually not going to reveal it because it’s so random but also hilarious.

2. Boomsday! (Issue #58)

The Professor builds Bender his own parents, as a way to placate/discipline Bender. However, these parents decide that Fry is a bad influence on Bender, leading to them kicking him out. Meanwhile, the Professor’s doomsday devices are all stolen, and he has to go find them.

Both of these plots are funny and good. Bender’s plot is also really sweet what with his friendship with Fry, and his wish for parents. Meanwhile the Professor’s plot is just really funny and I do love seeing the Professor in his element. The ending is mostly heartwarming.

Best Moments: Everything with Fry and Bender, and Bender has a sweet relationship with his fake parents. Also, the Professor uses Issac Asimov candles on the robot mafia which I found a great joke. Oh, and the Professor’s first doomsday device was made when he was four years old and I love that. The end of the comic also has very nice message.

1. Rotten to the Core (Issue #27)

The world’s weather has gone kerflooey, and the Professor has figured out that his invention that can drill into the center of the Earth has been used. It conspires that Bender sold it at a yard sale to some aliens call the magmoids. The magmoids are trying to steal magma from the Earth’s core and the crew has to go and stop them.

This is my favorite because it’s a great character comic. All of the main three have great moments, and it’s also a great science comic. The Earth’s core is incredibly magnetic so of course Bender starts spouting out folk songs, and also SECRETS. I can’t believe no one has used the fact that canonically magnets make Bender incapable of telling lies. Anyway, it’s just really fun.

Best Moments: Way too many to count. Bender and Fry are told to cut out the “Brokeback Moanin,’“ Leela and Fry are bitter at the end, Fry tells story about his childhood, Bender has some great secrets to tell, the Professor gets a really fun ending, Bender has a rare moment of generosity, and the entirety of the climax is all kinds of fun and sweet.

[americxn]

Run

Kai accidentally confesses his love to you ╔═══════════════╗      warnings: violence ╚═══════════════╝

word count - 3k a/n - sorry about how badly this is written, I was so tired when I was writing it Shit, shit, shit, shit. Fuck. Oh fuck.  You held your phone in a death grip as you stood frozen in Kai’s bedroom, Beverly’s frantic voice fuelling a panic within you like you had never felt. “He’s coming, y/n. He left here around ten minutes ago, I’m so sorry I couldn’t call earlier I had to get away from the others first.” You ignored her panic-stricken apologies, striding to the door and pushing it open before hurrying down the stairs of Kai’s house, terror, deep and immobilizing, unfurling in your chest. “Is he driving?” You barked down the phone, not directed at your friend but at the situation you now found yourself in. That piece of shit had ratted you out. And gotten away with it. “Yes. Please tell me that you’re out of the house, y/n, he’s coming for you.” Beverley’s last words, the desperation and fear in her voice, igniting a new level of alarm within you. Fear for you. The thought settles over you like ice water, a truly horrifying realisation that hit home sharply, pushing you to go faster.  Throwing on your shoes hurriedly and grabbing the first set of car keys your hand found in the pot beside the door, you threw open the door and took the steps down two at a time to the driveway, thanking Beverly and breathlessly promising to ring her as soon as you were in the clear before hanging up and pocketing your phone. You pressed the ‘unlock’ button on the car keys, sprinting for the car that beeped in response and lunging for the door. It was one of Kai’s cars. And not a cheap one. This thought added to the terror burning deep inside you, although you knew it didn’t matter. If Kai caught up to you, you were dead, stolen car or not.  Brain switching to autopilot, you turned on the engine and reversed quickly off the drive and sped off through the neighbourhood, your eyes glued to the rear-view mirror incase Kai rounded the corner behind you. “FUCK.” You shouted, slamming a hand on the steering wheel as you hurtled through the neighbourhood.

He had given you up, had ratted out your ass just so he could stay alive. If you weren’t dead within the next week you made a silent promise with yourself to return and kill the little prick.  A new boy had joined the cult two weeks ago. Kai had informed you that was only seventeen and you had been taken by his timidness, decided to sit with him at meetings, sacrificing your position next to Kai on the couch to ensure that none of the brutes in the cult dared to pick on the poor boy. He revealed to you that his name was Liam and that his parents had kicked him out of their house after he was expelled from his high school, leading to Kai having found him and manipulating the boy to joining the cult by offering him the promise of a place to stay until he was able to get a job and support himself. But, after only four days in the cult, after you and Liam had begun to hang out before and after meetings, he revealed to you that he was terrified of Kai and everyone else who was involved with him and that he wanted to leave. As a long-term member of the cult, you knew how that would turn out and convinced Liam to let you help him find a safe way out. But he had thrown that back in your face, all in an attempt to prove his worth to the cult and get in Kai’s good books by getting you, Kai’s favourite member, thrown out of the group. Beverly had explained to you on the phone that Liam claimed to Kai that not only were you plotting to kick Liam out of the cult, which was the partial truth, but you were planning on killing Kai and taking over as cult leader. And Liam had taken the opportunity to tell Kai this on today’s mission, which conveniently involved you staying at Kai’s house and carrying out your role from there whilst everyone else was together at the site of the mission.  And now Kai was coming to kill you. He would always take the words of a man over those of a woman, no matter how close to him you though you were.

This thought spurred your foot to press harder on the accelerator and soon you had made it out of the neighbourhood, Kai still nowhere in sight.  You kept driving, eventually making your way out of the city, hands gripping the wheel so hard that your knuckles turned white as you turned onto the back roads, only now just slowing your pace a little to accommodated the thinner, winding tracks. You jumped with a harsh gasp as you phone started buzzing in your back pocket and you fished it out with one hand, icy dread turning your blood to slush as you read the display name: Kai.  Chucking your phone on the seat beside you, you decided that it was just best to ignore it. After about a minute of ringing, each buzz resonating within you and feeding to your panic until your chest was so tight it was difficult to take a full breath, your phone fell silent, the screen going dark.  Letting out a breath, you leant your head back on the headrest, forcing yourself to breathe through your terror as you drove further and further out of the city, having no idea where you were going and just wanting to put as much distance between you and Kai as possible.  And then the screen on the dashboard of Kai’s car lit up, the sound of ringing filling the vehicle and Kai’s name flashing on the screen. A wave a nausea filled you as you realized that Kai wouldn’t leave you alone until answered him and as you reached out to press the ‘accept’ option on the screen, you began to cry, deep-rooted dread unfurling in the pit of your stomach.  The car fell silent as the call connected you, your poorly suppressed sobs filling the car, turning to hiccups as Kai finally spoke.  “Y/n.” He spoke your name, not as a question but as a command. You took a shaky breath, keeping as silent as you could, trying to mask your painfully obvious sobs. “Turn around. Come back to me.” He spoke slowly, as if talking to a frightened animal, his calm tone fuelling your eagerness to get the hell away from him as fast as you could. He sighed when you didn’t reply. The car fell silent for a beat before he added: “If you don’t come to me, I’ll come to you.” His unspoken words rang through your head. ‘If you make me come to you, I’ll just take more time killing you. I’ll be more creative.’ And like hell would you go to him, like you were his dog and he your owner. Your mounting fear only confirmed this but you pushed the thought aside. “I won’t come to you.” You hiccupped, “you’ll only kill me.” Hating your sobs, you gritted your teeth painfully as you waited for his response. “Y/n. You’re driving in my car. I’m tracking your location, I can see where you are.” You breathing hitched as he added lowly, his voice reverberating around the car, “you might want to slow down.”  “I’m sorry about the car, Kai. I’ll leave it somewhere and message you the location. Please leave me alone.” You whispered the last part quietly, voice cracking pathetically.  “I’m not interested in the car if you’re not in it.” He cooed, before adding, “oh, there you are.” You froze, fingers going limp on the wheel as you flicked your eyes to the rear view mirror, catching a glimpse of a black car rounding the corner behind you. You yelped and slammed your foot into the accelerator, Kai’s chuckle filling the car. “You didn’t think I’d sit at home and let you get further and further away from me did you? Now fucking stop the car.”  Your heart leapt, thudding hard and fast at the raising anger in his tone as you pushed the car to drive even faster, hurtling around corners, Kai easily matching you in speed. You jammed your finger onto the ‘decline’ option on the screen before you, cutting Kai off as your breaths began to come out even shorter. This car would never be fast enough, Kai would drive after you until you ran out of gas, fuck he would drive after you to the ends of the world, just to feel your warm blood coating his rough fingertips. Your terror almost kept you driving blindly, flight overpowering fight, but you forced the practical thinking part of your brain into motion and beginning to weigh your odds of escape. As you rounded a particularly sharp corner, you saw the opening to a little side road branching off the main road you drove on and a reckless plan formed in your head.  You eased off the accelerator slightly, not giving yourself time to scare yourself out of what you were about to try and do, a glance in the rear view mirror confirming that Kai was gaining on you. You forced your rapid breathing to steady, trying to sharpen your focus as the opening to the side road got closer and closer, your hand settling over the handbrake. 10 yards. 5 yards. 3. Your stomach flipped as you yanked the handbrake up, the car screeching as you gritted your teeth, willing the car to stop at the angle you wanted it to, so that it lay across the road diagonally to stop Kai from following you any further by car. Before the vehicle had stopped moving, you had your seatbelt off and your phone in hand and had lunged for the passenger side door, throwing it open and forcing yourself out clumsily as Kai screeched to a halt behind you, the impact of his car hitting yours causing you to fall the rest of the way out of the car and you landed hard on your hands and knees.  Fuck, he would be pissed about the cars.  He shouted in fury after you, his own car door slamming shut with enough force that the sound echoed after you. But you were already running, you hands stinging but your mind clear as you hurtled around the corner and into the side road, praying to any god that might be listening that there was a house, a car, a person out walking, anything or anyone that would be able to help you. But the road was empty. A horrible feeling settled over you as you ran. How far out had you driven? Kai barked your name, forcing you out of your panic-clouded thoughts and you turned your head quickly to catch a glance of him over your shoulder.  His face was contorted with rage as he ran after you, his eyes narrowed into slits as his teeth gritted in effort, his jaw tight. He was gaining on you. You tried to push yourself faster but your thighs burned in protest, your arms groaning as you urged them to pump faster and your ankles beginning to buckle.  Your breaths sawed raggedly in and out of your lungs, the wind ripping your hair free of its ponytail. Remembering that your phone was still clutched in your hand, you racked your brain frantically, willing yourself to think of anyone that you could call that would save you. But the police wouldn’t do anything, they were terrified of Kai.  And anyone else you got roped into this would end up dead alongside you and-You yelped as Kai’s weight slammed into you, sending you both barrelling to the hard concrete of the road, your head taking the brunt of the impact as it collided with the road. Hard. Your phone was knocked from your grip and you tried in vain to blink away the stars in your vision at the impact as Kai flipped you over, one of his hands grabbing both of your wrists in his and another pinning you to the concrete by your throat. Warmth dripped from your temple and a part of you wanted to laugh, the other part willing your brain to shut down at the pain that you surely be forced to endure; Kai had had his hands on you for less than a second and you were already bleeding. “You bitch.” He spat in your face as you blinked at him vacantly. His hands clamped down onto your throat even tighter, the breath you dragged in enough to centre your focus and pull you back into reality.  “Please.” You choked, a sob racking your body painfully. His face softened in mock sympathy as he cooed a sarcastic “awe” at you.  “Poor traitorous whore. You can’t even fight me off can you?” He lifted your body up an inch off the road by your throat before slamming you back down in emphasis. Skin tore where his nails gripped your throat as he dug them into your flesh, your bones bleating from the second impact.  He leaned down, putting his lips by your ear, strands of his blue hair brushing against your cheek. “I don’t know why I let you into my cult, pathetic bitch.” A sob forced its way out of you, his words slamming into you with just as much force as the concrete did as he lifted you again and pushed you back down. Your vision blurred as his released your throat, quickly replacing his hand in your hair in a tangled grip as he yanked you up and began to walk back to his car, dragging you after him, your knees scraping against the rough road. You struggled to right yourself and find your footing as the blinding pain of being pulled along by your hair seized you and you screamed pitifully. “Kai, please.” You gasped, your own hands finding his wrist and trying to loosen his grip on your hair, the pain radiating through your scalp becoming two much as you began to loose your grip on consciousness. Kai seemed to realise this and released you, turning to watch as you hit the floor with a grunt and attempt to crawl away from him, your fingernails splitting as your dug them into the rough surface of the road.  He laughed, stepping forwards and wrapping his arms around your torso before hauling you up and pressing your back to his chest.  Nausea roiled in your gut.  “Kai. K-Kai, please.” You sobbed, fighting to suppress the retch that tried to force its way out of you. Kai hauled you towards his car, his phone appearing in his hand as he opened the passenger side door and shoved you in the car, kicking your legs in before laying a hard slap down on your face and slamming the door. You watched, cheek burning, too weak to try and get out of the car and terrified of being hurt more as Kai brought his phone to his ear, making his way round to the drivers side of the car and getting in.  “Yeah, I need you here.” He grumbled into the phone. Your head lolled to the side to look at him, terror glinting in your eyes. “The keys are still in the car, I don’t care how you do it just get my car back to my house.” You could briefly make out a voice babbling nervously on the other end.  “Just come.” He barked suddenly and you whimpered, your body jolting in response to his tone.  Hanging up, he chucked the phone into the backseat, watching in cruel amusement as you looked after the discarded device longingly. Quickly, he had the car turned around in the road and you were driving again, back the way you came. You could feel the blood dribbling from your temple, matting your already knotted hair. You had your eyes trained on Kai, your body jumping every time he moved his hands so much as an inch in your direction. Kai glanced at you, his face completely devoid of any emotion.  “Ask.” He demanded, turning his eyes back the road. You knew what he wanted of you, the same question that he wanted to hear you utter the only thought floating around your head. You swallowed slowly, your own fear causing you to give in.  “How are you going to do it?” Your voice was thick and it was a struggle to keep the words steady.  He took another glance at you, eyebrows quirking up in surprise. And then he laughed.  “Oh, y/n.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to kill you.” Your heart swelled in hope.  “Why the fuck would I kill someone I love?” He mused in amusement, shaking his head back and forth slowly. Realisation dawned upon your foggy brain as his words settled over you. “You- what?”  “I said I’m not going to kill you.” He replied hurriedly, as if he only just realised what he had said. Silence fell and he cleared his throat. “Don’t get too excited.” He muttered, all of his attention fixing back on the road. “By the time I’m through with your punishment, you’ll most likely wished I had just killed you.” His promise chilled you to the core, even as a strange fluttery feeling filled your stomach at his accidental confession.

[cryingcow]

Character Story - Mine (Holiday) [RGGO]

Due to certain personal circumstances, I’ve moved up Mine’s story on the list. Thank you @chaoticcandies​ and @firstorderglory​ for the request!

Story: Right before Mine goes on his Okinawa field trip, Daigo informs him that another one of Kiryu’s bodyguards has been killed. Daigo asks him to investigate while in Okinawa to see whether someone does or does not have a plan to assassinate Kiryu. Mine solves the problem by funding and formulating Kiryu’s assassination plan himself.

Daigo: “Now Mine, I want you to make sure Kiryu-san is safe, okay?”

Mine, buying several rifles: “Yes, Daigo-san.”

Daigo: “That means I want him alive and not dead, you hear me?”

Mine, writing Kiryu’s name on his portable guillotine: “Loud and clear, Daigo-san. :)”

Notes:

1) Match pump - “lighting a match and stopping the fire with a water pump”. In other words, solving a problem that you yourself made in the first place. The phrase also came up back in Sera’s story, I think.

2) Like a beehive - “turmoil”

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CHAPTER 1

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|The Nishikiyama Family field trip by Kanda completed their itinerary without delay, and they returned back home. However, Mine remained in Okinawa on his own . . .|

Boy: “Ojiisan! It’s the long-awaited summer vacation, play together with us more!”

Kiryu: “Yeah, let’s invite everyone to play baseball later.”

Boy: “Hooray! Absolutely, Ojiisan!!”

Girl: “Ojiisan! I can’t find my colored pencils . . .”

Kiryu: “Recall when you last used them . . . maybe you’ll find them soon?”

Girl: “Hmm . . . where could they have gone?”

Mine: “. . . Is this the orphanage ‘Morning Glory’?”

Mine: (. . . Indeed, for me to be ‘the’ Fourth Chairman’s bodyguard . . .)

----

|A few days before the Nishikiyama Family field trip.|

{Mine knocks on Daigo’s door and enters.}

Mine: “Excuse me.”

Daigo: “Mine, I’m happy to see you. I heard from Kanda, are you going to Okinawa?”

Mine: “Yes . . . I’ll be in trouble with Kanda-no-aniki otherwise. He doesn’t care that it’s inconvenient for me.”

Daigo: “Heh . . . However, this time it’s convenient.”

Mine: “. . . What do you mean?”

Daigo: “There’s a problem in Okinawa. It cannot be made public.”

Mine: “. . . Is it related to Kiryu-san?”

Daigo: “. . . As expected, you make good guesses. That’s correct.”

{Daigo is silent for a few seconds.}

Daigo: “The Fourth Chairman is secretly being guarded in Okinawa.  . . . But the other day, one of the escorts was killed.”

Mine: “So you’re asking me to investigate.”

Daigo: “Yeah . . . many people in the Tojo Clan don’t like Kiryu-san. If someone dies because of that, it will cause unnecessary waves in the organization . . . Investigate this matter. And ensure the safety of the orphanage . . . Mine, can I ask this of you?”

----

Mine: (. . . Nothing else to do about it. It’s a direct order from Daigo-san. I should set aside my personal feelings and fulfill my mission. Now, I was able to confirm Kiryu-san’s appearance. Should I join the escort staff . . . ?)

----

Mine: “Are you Chinen?”

Chinen: “Mine-san? I’ve been waiting for you. Let’s move over here . . .”

Chinen: “I and Osugi, the escort who was killed, were keeping an eye on ‘Morning Glory’. That night . . . Osugi and I were doing different things. The attack happened then . . . The next morning, Osugi was found floating along Kubochi River . . . he was shot in the head at close range.”

Mine: “What is the criminal’s aim?”

Chinen: “That’s still unknown . . . However, investigations are underway on those who are connected to Morning Glory. Apparently a man named Teruya who is helping Morning Glory is being looked into.”

Mine: “To survey the supporters of Morning Glory instead of the orphanage directly . . . how strangely roundabout.”

Chinen: “Yes. So I thought I’d get the information and went straight to that Teruya . . . but he was being strangely vigilant, I didn’t get anything out of him at all.”

Mine: (It’s obviously not the work of a civilian. It’s not unreasonable to be wary, but . . .)

Mine: “There must be a reason for this Teruya to be vigilant. It might be best for me to listen to his story. Show me to Teruya.”

----

Teruya: “I’m very sorry for the other day. For that person to be Mine-san’s subordinate . . .”

Mine: “No, there appears to be a misunderstanding . . .”

Teruya: “I see . . . so why is someone like Mine-san here?”

Mine: “I heard you are in a critical situation as someone minding the orphanage ‘Morning Glory’. Maybe I can help . . . If you don’t mind, could you tell us the story?”

Teruya: “. . . Actually, the company’s server was hacked and the stolen information is being used as blackmail. The other day, yakuza-like men rushed into the office and said to give them 200 million if I didn’t want anything to happen to my customers . . .”

Mine: “Did you pay?”

Teruya: “No, I couldn’t come up with the money right away, so they’ll wait a week for me to ready it by then . . .”

Mine: “I see . . . the next time the men arrive, prepare the money. And for the hacking, I’ll provide you with the security we use.”

Teruya: “Th-Thank you very much . . . but, to give them the 200 million . . .”

Mine: “I’ll get it back later. We’ll let them grab the money and swim home so we can gather information.”

Teruya: “Will the plan really work that well?”

Mine: “Please be assured. Leave everything to me.”

----

{Mine and Chinen are hiding behind a corner as they follow the yakuza-like men with the money.}

Chinen: “They don’t seem to notice our trail . . .”

Mine: (Get back the money, extract information from them, hit their organization, rebuild Teruya’s business . . . then the orphanage is protected and business is completed. But-- Is that really okay? The escort was killed because he tried to protect Morning Glory . . . in other words, people were sacrificed because of civilians like Kiryu. Daigo-san was worried, but that a situation like this could greatly shake up the Sixth Chairman’s structure . . . Then what I really need to do now--)

{A noise comes from their hiding place.}

Yakuza-like Man A: “. . . Oi, who’s there!! Come out!!”

Chinen: “! Mine-san, I’m sorry . . .”

Mine: “. . . No, it’s just as well. There are no witnesses and I can hit them here.”

Yakuza-like Man A: “I’ll tell you what to hit! Did you come here to get the money back?!”

Yakuza-like Man B: “We’ll make you spit it out!!”

{Mine beats them up.}

Yakuza-like Man A: “Huwee . . .”

Yakuza-like Man B: “That guy has the money, let’s run!!”

{The other two run away.}

Mine: “Chinen, chase them!”

Chinen: “Yes!”

{Chinen runs after the two.}

Mine: “Oi, you . . .”

Yakuza-like Man A: “H-Hiii?! Do-Don’t kill me!!”

Mine: “I won’t kill you. I just have a request for you . . .”

Yakuza-like Man A: “Re-Request . . . ?”

Mine: “Get in touch with your boss right now.”

Yakuza-like Man A: “Wha . . . What do you want with my boss?”

Mine: “Hmph . . . would you rather die here?”

Yakuza-like Man A: “I-I understand!! I’ll do as you say!!”

{The yakuza-like man makes a call.}

Yakuza-like Man A: “I-I’m sorry, Boss. I’ll hand over the phone now . . .”

Mine: “. . . Are you the boss of this guy?”

Man: “Wh-Who are you?”

Mine: “Heh. Don’t worry about that.  . . . I’m your collaborator.”

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-END-

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CHAPTER 2

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Man: “. . . A collaborator? Who are you.”

Mine: “You don’t need to know that.”

Man: “. . . Do you think we’d trust someone no one knows?”

Mine: “. . . How about credit? Heh. I’ll give you 500 million. How’s that?”

Man: “5-500 million . . . ?! You’re bluffing . . .”

Mine: “You can decide later whether it’s a bluff or not.”

Man: “. . . Why would you go so far . . .”

Mine: “What you’re attempting to do is convenient for me . . . that’s all there is.”

Man: “. . .”

Man: “Bring the money and let my subordinate guide you. Once I receive it, then I’ll trust you.”

Mine: “Understood.”

Mine: “Oi.”

Yakuza-like Man A: “Hiii . . . ! Y-Yes . . .”

Mine: “The boss wants to see me. Take me to him.”

----

Mine: “The promised 500 million. Also the 200 million taken from Teruya.”

Boss: “. . . Certainly. You did bring it. I trust you. I’m Inami, leader of the Inami Family. You want to cooperate with our plan, but how much do you know?”

Mine: “Your purpose is to encroach into Okinawa’s resort development plans, which have been stopped for several months. The orphanage supported by Teruya is on the planned development site. Teruya is being threatened to acquire the land. Is it because Kiryu Kazuma is on that land that you chose such a roundabout method?”

Inami: “. . . That’s right. Previously, the Tojo Clan’s Tamashiro Family was aiming for that land . . . They were almost destroyed by Kiryu. It’s a well-known story around these parts. We don’t attack the orphanage directly because we fear Kiryu’s retaliation. We don’t have enough weapons and soldiers to deal with Kiryu.”

Mine: “What if I said I would pay for that?”

Inami: “! No way . . . you want Kiryu to be . . . ?”

Mine: “No need to snoop around any deeper. However, hasn’t my financial strength given me ‘credit’?”

Inami: “. . . All right.”

Mine: “Heh. It was nice to meet you, Inami-san.”

Mine: (These guys will get rid of Kiryu as part of their job. Kiryu’s existence is Daigo-san’s Achilles heel. I will cut off any future worries here.)

----

|That night. Mine met up with Chinen while hiding his relationship with Inami.|

Chinen: “I see . . . it was the work of the Inami Family? Was their aim to crush Morning Glory without provoking the Fourth Chairman . . . ?”

Mine: “Yeah. I was careless and let him escape, but I heard their goal.”

Chinen: “But what do we do? Even if we know who the enemy is, there’s only two of us. This is originally a top secret mission. We can’t expect support from the Head Family.”

Mine: “The enemy will try to do more damage to Teruya. Leave that to me. You should go back to being Kiryu-san’s bodyguard.”

Chinen: “U-Understood!”

----

|A few days later.|

Teruya: “--Then, I will try to do as Mine-san says.”

Mine: “This is expected to increase sales by 20%. Management should be fairly stable.”

{Someone knocks on the door and enters.}

Yakuza A: “Sorry for intruding when you’re busy, Teruya-san.”

Teruya: “Who are you guys . . . ?!”

Yakuza A: “Teruya-san’s place seems to still be fine, so we thought we’d like to get a little more money . . .”

Teruya: “I-I have no money to pay you!!”

Mine: “. . . What do you mean by coming to the office without an appointment? Truly there is no common sense among yakuza.”

Yakuza B: “Oh yeah? And who are you . . . ?”

Mine: “Would you like to be sent back quickly?”

Yakuza A: “Don’t be a fool!! We’ll beat you both up!!”

{Mine beats them up and sends them running.}

Mine: “That doesn’t mean they won’t come here again. Let’s keep meeting up here regularly for a while.”

Teruya: “I sincerely thank you very much.”

Mine: “Hmph. No, this is all for Morning Glory.”

----

Inami: “As mentioned, those at the bottom that I sent don’t know about you.”

Mine: “Yeah, thanks to that, Teruya trusts me completely.”

Inami: “. . . Phew, I’m glad you’re on our side.”

Mine: “Until Kiryu has been done away with . . . perform the next step in the plan well.”

Inami: “Should we take over the system by exploiting the security vulnerabilities introduced into Teruya’s company?”

Mine: “Yeah. I’ll then act like I noticed the exploitation and stop it.”

Inami: “So it’s a match pump?  . . . You’re a con artist.”

----

|A few more days later.|

Inami: “Hehe. Thanks to you, Teruya’s company is running smoothly. But is it necessary to help Teruya just to get rid of Kiryu?”

Mine: “There is this situation here . . . That being said, the weapons have been procured . . . how are things on your end?”

Inami: “We’ve pulled out enough men from the surrounding organizations to strengthen our force . . . are you ready to go anytime?”

Mine: “Is that so . . . then let us move the plan to the final stage. Kidnap Teruya tonight and have him call Kiryu as a hostage.”

Inami: “! Having a hostage to block his movements would have Kiryu like a beehive, right?”

Mine: “That’s right. Don’t mess it up.”

Inami: “We’ve set up the table this far. Failure isn’t an option.”

Mine: “I’m counting on it.”

----

Yakuza A: “Thank you for your hard work.”

Mine: “The confrontation happens tomorrow. Don’t mess it up.”

Yakuza A: “Yes sir!!”

{The yakuza runs off.}

?: “Huh? Mine-san?”

Mine: “!”

Chinen: “Mine-san, why did you come out of the Inami Family office . . . ?!”

Mine: “Chinen . . . ! You . . . should be monitoring the orphanage . . .”

Mine: (Damn . . . I was caught off guard . . . ! I should have foreseen that something would go wrong . . . !)

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-END-

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CHAPTER 3

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Chinen: “Mine-san . . . you’re getting along very well with the Inami Family . . . what is the meaning of this . . . ?”

Mine: (Shit . . . I wasn’t careful of my actions . . .)

Mine: “. . . Chinen. It was wrong to keep quiet. But please calm down and listen.”

Chinen: “. . .”

Mine: “As you can see, I have a cooperative relationship with the Inami Family. But that’s to extract their information.”

Chinen: “Then it wouldn’t be necessary to hide it from me. I’ve never been in contact with the Inami Family.”

Mine: “That is . . .”

Chinen: “Don’t try to deceive me! Mine-san, are you connected with the Inami Family?!”

Mine: (Tch . . . Is it impossible to salvage the situation anymore . . . ? Then I’ll have to get rid of him here--)

Chinen: “. . . Just kidding. Ahaha.”

Mine: “? . . .”

Chinen: “Ahaha. Don’t worry. Actually, I’m also a traitor.”

Mine: “. . . What did you say?”

Chinen: “I’m also colluding with the Inami Family, trying to crush Morning Glory. Are you surprised? So was I when I heard Mine-san had joined hands with Inami. But I agree with assassinating Kiryu to wake up Daigo-san. I’ll cooperate too!!”

Mine: (. . . Have I been turned around? Was it all by Chinen’s hand from the start?)

Chinen: “I’ve heard the plan from Inami. Let me in on it too! Mine-san!”

----

Mine: (If everything goes as planned, Inami, who has kidnapped Teruya, should have gotten in touch to call Kiryu . . .)

Haruka: “Ojiisan! Are you really going out alone . . . ?!”

Kiryu: “Yeah . . . Teruya’s life is in danger if I don’t obey.”

Haruka: “Could it be the Tamashiro Family who has Teruya-no-ojiisan, just like before?”

Kiryu: “No, that is absolutely impossible. At the time, Daigo promised, ‘I will not touch Okinawa’. He’s not one to break his promises.”

Haruka: “. . . not Daigo-san . . . ? Then, who on earth . . . ?”

Kiryu: “It doesn’t matter who they are. Teruya is a friend who supports Morning Glory. You can’t abandon your friends. Isn’t that right?”

Mine: “! . . .”

Haruka: “Ojiisan . . . you’re come back, right?”

Kiryu: “Yeah, I’m definitely coming back. Haruka, look after the kids while I’m gone.”

Haruka: “Yup . . . ! Please take care, Ojiisan.”

Mine: (Kiryu’s words . . . he’s not riding on his strength. He should know what would happen when he boldly goes out alone. Nevertheless . . . Friends . . . ? Even if he’s just a total stranger who’s in it for the money . . . !)

Mine: (. . . Kuh. That is Kiryu Kazuma . . . the man Daigo-san is aiming for . . .)

----

Inami: “To really show up alone . . . the legendary yakuza seems to know no fear . . .”

Teruya: “Ki-Kiryu-san . . . I’m sorry . . .”

Kiryu: “Teruya . . . ! Are you hurt . . . ?!”

Inami: “Oops, don’t move, Kiryu . . . if you move, this gun will blow his head away, okay?”

Kiryu: “Taking a civilian as a hostage . . . you’re a lowlife.”

Inami: “Anyway . . . is it wrong for a yakuza to get what they want by any means necessary?”

{A big group arrives.}

Kiryu: “! . . .”

Inami: “You notice? Countless muzzles are aimed towards you . . . you’re already a trapped mouse!”

Mine: (It seems that things are going according to plan . . .)

Kiryu: “At the time, Daigo promised, ‘I will not touch Okinawa’. He’s not one to break his promises.”

Kiryu: “It doesn’t matter who they are. Teruya is a friend who supports Morning Glory. You can’t abandon your friends. Isn’t that right?”

Mine: “. . .”

Mine: “. . . Hmph. I’m hesitating.”

----

Chinen: “Mine-san! This is the end. We have Kiryu covered from the rear--”

Mine: “--No, I can’t let this go through.”

Chinen: “Mine-san, what are you saying . . . ?”

Mine: “I’m cautious. Until I am certain of something, I try not to come to conclusions. In other words . . . Kiryu’s murder is on hold.”

Chinen: “! Do you mean to betray us . . . ?! Why now . . . !”

Mine: “Hmph. You don’t need to know.”

Chinen: “Don’t play around . . . !! It’s only a little longer until Kiryu can be killed!!! If you get in the way, we’ll kill you too!!!!”

{Mine defeats all of them, and they all collapse.}

Mine: “Now, the reinforcements are taken out . . .”

Mine: (The rest depends on your efforts. Please do your best to hold on . . . Fourth Chairman.)

----

Inami: “Kuh . . . Reinforcements haven’t come yet?!”

Kiryu: “What’s wrong. You seem to be getting very impatient?”

Inami: “Sh-Shut up!! Do-Don’t move!! You want something to happen to him?!”

----

Mine: “The distance is roughly 200 meters . . . Well, that’s no problem . . . I didn’t think the rifle I bought would be used for this . . .”

{A shot rings through the air.}

----

Inami: “Guaaa?! M-My hand?!”

Teruya: “Hi-Hiiii?!”

{Teruya breaks away from his hold and runs.}

Inami: “W-Wait! Did he escape--?!”

Kiryu: “I don’t know who . . . but someone helped.”

Inami: “O-Oh no--”

{Kiryu beats everyone up.}

----

Mine: “Is that the ‘Dragon of Dojima’ . . . ?”

Mine: “Heh, you’re too obstinate.”

Chinen: “Because of you, my plan is ruined . . . My sister and her husband committed suicide from a large debt because Daigo stopped the Okinawa resort plan . . . ‘Protecting Kiryu’s whereabouts’ is a dumb reason! Killing Kiryu so that Daigo will taste the sadness of losing a loved one-- guhaa . . . !”

{Chinen gets punched by Mine and collapses once again.}

Mine: “I’m not interested in your story.”

----

|Thus . . .|

Woman in swimsuit: “Um . . . are you alone?”

Mine: “Am I? As you can see, I’m alone.”

Woman in swimsuit: “Yes . . . sorry for suddenly calling out to you. So . . . are you sightseeing in Okinawa?”

Mine: “No. Had to do a bit of business from Tokyo.”

Woman in swimsuit: “You’re from Tokyo?! I hear the city is nice! So . . . have you finished your business yet?”

Mine: “Yeah. I just had to handle some trivial trouble. It was a minor job.”

Mine: (Teruya’s company is safe after what happened. Both Inami and the Inami Family have been taken care of . . . I’ve reported to Daigo-san that everything was the undertaking of Chinen.)

Woman in swimsuit: “U-Um . . . In that case, why don’t we have a meal together at a nearby shop?”

Mine: “. . . Heh. Yeah, if it’s okay with you.”

Woman in swimsuit: “R-Really?! I’m glad . . . !”

Mine: (Kiryu Kazuma . . . I understand why Daigo-san looks up to you. I withdrew this time . . . heh. Do you have any idea what’s coming next? . . . Fourth Chairman.)

.

-END-

Masterlist

[alittlelove4u]

haikyuu boys proposing

including: Tendou • Iwaizumi

WARNINGS: manga spoilers, post time-skip

NOTE: Should I make a part2 ??

masterlist

Tendou Satori

The two of you went to Paris after high school for a trip and that was when he fall in love with the city. You visited all the cities across the country. Nizza, Reims and Paris, wich was your last destination. Satori and you spend the whole day wandering around and doing all the tourist stuff everyone does. When it started to get late, you decided to head back too your hotel. Satori thought it would be a great idea to walk to the hotel and that’s how you got lost. None of you knew the city or any French and both of you were hungry and tired. Around 12 p.m you were still walking through some alleys, looking for an open restaurant or at least a cap.

,,Satori, I’m tired,“ you put your head again his chest while he was translating some street sings on his phone. He put his phone away and pulled you closer to him, so he could kiss your forehead.

,,There are some benches, let’s sit down for a moment.“ He put his arm around you and lead you to the benches near a bridge. There were a flew streetlights and someone was playing music in their home. The two of you sat down and you laid your head on his shoulder.

Satori looked down on you. You seemed so tired, your eyes were barely open and he wanted to punch himself. It was his fault that you were lost. ,,I’m sorry, Y/N,“ he whispered, worried you could see the fear in his eyes when you looked up.

,,Satori, it’s not you fault.“ You assured him with a smile and placed a kiss on his lips. Of course you were tired and a little annoyed but it wasn’t his fault. No one could have known you’d get lost.

,,I love you, my paradise.“ He kissed you again, but this time longer and more passionate. Satori still can’t believe how lucky he is, that you love him. The last couple of weeks felt like a dream and he had to pinch himself a flew times to make sure it was real. To make sure you were really with him in France. These weeks were so beautiful and he didn’t want to ruin them.

,,Stand up,“ he said with a smile and offered you his hand. You were confused but took it and let him pull you closer. Satori put his arms around you and started moving to the music wich came from one of the open windows.

,,I love you.“ You giggled as he spinned you around yourself and pulled you against his chest.

There were only a flew lights but it was enough for him to see you and good god, you looked so beautiful. Your skin was glowing under the yellow lamp and you bright smile made him fall in love once again. You were his and he was yours. He loved you and you love him and he wants to spend every day with you. That’s all he could think of that moment.

He pulled you into another kiss. His hands around your face and you on your toes, with music in the distance and the light behind you. ,,God, I wanna marry you.“ He slipped as you placed your hands your his.

,,What?“ You asked still shoked. The two of you never talked about something like that. Good god, you just graduated from high school. And yet...you liked the idea of spending the rest of your life with Tendou.

Satori‘s smile disappeared and anxiety took over his body. He didn’t meant to say it out loud. Of course you wouldn’t want to marry him. He probably just destroyed your trip, maybe even your relationship.

,,I...I didn’t meant it like that. I-I mean maybe one day, i- if you want,“ he stuttered anxious and didn’t dare to look into your eyes. He was too afraid to move or even breathe and when you kissed him he almost suffocate in the air.

,,To bad, because I just wanted to say yes.“

Satori didn’t say anything. He just bit his cheeks as hard as he could. Maybe he was dreaming or hallucinating. Maybe he died in the plane on the way to France. But even when he tasted blood, he was in Paris with you and you just kind of accepted his proposal. ,,Really?“

,,Well, if we were in a romantic city, maybe like...Rome or Paris, and if you’d ask me to marry you...I might say yes.“ you smiled at him cocky and that’s when he realized you were serious.

The red haired boy stepped away from you and went down on his knee. ,,Y/N Y/L/N, would you like to marry me?“ he asked still a little anxious but also smiling.

,,Tendou Satori, I’d love to marry you,“ you answered with a smile and pulled him back on his feet. Satori covered your face with kisses and even a tear rolled over his cheek. ,,I love you, so much,“ ,,I love you too,“ he whispered as you whipped away the tear. He repeated these words so often, in the end you were yelling it through the streets of Paris.

It took the two of you another hour to find your hotel and the next morning Satori woke up before you. He looked at you and once again he pinched himself. You were sleeping in his arms, with your head on his chest and fingers intertwined with his. It was probably already noon and the sun was shining in your room and he still couldn’t believe his luck.

Tendou Y/N

You really accepted his proposal. You’d really get married. Maybe not now but soon, he thought to himself and smiled.

Y/L/N Satori

It would take some time for him to fully believe this.

Iwaizumi Hajime

You and Hajime just moved into your first apartment. It was your last year in college, but you’ve been together since Highschool anyway.

It was during your first week and you still haven’t cleaned up everything. There were some boxes and you didn’t have a dining/coffee table, wich is why you were studying on the floor of your living room. It was late and Hajime was supposed to bring food and when he finally came home you were starving.

,,Where have you been? I’m starving.“ Your anger disappear as soon as you smelled the delicious pizza.

,,The Professor couldn’t shut up and I missed the train. Sorry, Babe,“ he replied and kissed your cheek. Hajime had an exhausting day but even now your smile let him forget everything bad in this world.

,,Well, you’re home now, so let’s eat.“ You smiled at him and brought the pizza into the living area, leaving him alone in the kitchen.

He came home... Home?

He knew this should feel different but it didn’t. It wasn’t anything new he felt, when he enters the door, to the new apartment. He realized it didn’t felt like home either when he moved into his dorm or when he visited his parents and came through the front door. When he was younger he often thought to himself, he wanted to go home, even when he was in his own room this thought crossed his mind. It always felt nice going home to his parents but it never felt like home. He never could fully let go of everything. There was always some kind of discomfort.

Hajime was too tired to think about something like this. He grabbed the drinks and followed you into the living area. You were already siting on the floor and waiting for him. Your books were piled up behind you and the whole room smelled like pizza. A soft smile appeared on his face. You were sitting in your first home as a couple and dear god you looked so beautiful.

He never felt homesick when he was with you. He never wanted to go home when you were around.

,,How was your day?“ he asked you and sit down across from you. The two of you talked for hours, telling each other about your day and even though it wasn’t anything special Hajime felt like at home. It was just you and him. You knew everything about him and had seen him in every mood and you loved him anyway. He didn’t have to think about anything when he’s around you. No masking or lying or pretending to like something.

That night Hajime fell asleep as soon as he felt your presence next to him in the bed. He always felt safe when he knew you were there and it filled him with some sort of pride that you always fell asleep in his arms. You felt safe enough with him to let your guard down. Hajime put his arms you and pulled you as close as possible. He probably would have lost his mind if it wasn’t for you. No matter how hard it could get, you would let him forget everything.

That night he had a nightmare. It wasn’t a nightmare in particular. Everything seemed normal. His apartment, his friends and family, his job. Every was fine but you weren’t there and this feeling ate him from the inside. Knowing he let you go shattered him.

When Hajime finally woke up, it was around 5 a.m and the first rays of sunshine appeared behind the horizon. You were still sleeping next to him with your legs intertwined with his and you face on his chest. He let out an relived sigh and took your hand in his.

You woke up to some loud noises coming from the living room. Hajime was gone but you heard him cursing and the light was still on. You quickly got up and followed the noise. Hajime was sitting on the floor, surrounded by open boxes and countless stuff that should be put away. He didn’t notice you at first, his eyes we’re glued to something in his hands.

,,Hajime?“ You asked worried and turned on the light in the kitchen. Your boyfriend looked up to you with panic in his eyes. He knew how weird this must have seemed. ,,What are you doing?“ You came closer and sit down in front of him.

,,I was looking for something,“ he replied and looked down to his hands. A couple of months ago, on his birthday, his parents visited and his mother gave him something. It was her old engagement ring, his father gave to her. She smiled softly at him and kissed his cheek. ,,You’ll need this one.“ she said to him and looked at you, who was talking with his father.

,,Y/N, I love you.“ He finally looked up to you and smiled softly. You were starting to get worried. ,,I love you, too,“ you replied a little confused, yet you waited for him to say something.

Hajime finally sat up and took you hand in his. ,,Y/N, I want to spend the rest of our lives together...Would- would you like to marry me?“ His voice was shaking and he never looked more scared, than at this moment. He started doubting himself. He should have waited. Valentine’s Day is coming up and in a romantic restaurant you’d maybe say yes. 

,,Yes.“ you smiled with tears in your eyes and pulled him closer into a kiss. ,,Yes, I wanna marry you,“ you giggled happy with your forehand pressed against his. Hajime smiled like a little boy and kissed you again. Both of you were losing a flew tears and giggling between the kissed.

When the two of you finally let go of each other, he tried putting the ring on your finger, but apparently his mother has very lean fingers and so it didn’t fit.

A couple of weeks later, on Valentine’s Day, you went on a date. Hajime proposed again to you. This time the ring fit and it was in a romantic restaurant. He wanted to make it right this time.

[deliontower]

life on mars | one | b.b

summary: after an accident y/n wakes up in 1940s Brooklyn with no idea what happened they had no option but to accept help from two stranger

word count: 1.3k

warnings: inaccurate knowledge of Brooklyn, mention of violence/fights, questionable medical stuff, swearing, hints to drowning and that's it i think

A/N: this is something i've been working on for a while and i feel like it's finally ready to be put out there. opening from a grey's anatomy episode!

shout out to @rosewrites for letting me borrow Sparkles from her story Cardiac Arrest which is amazing and you should all check out!

!!has been edit but likely missed a few things!!

MAIN MASTERLIST | REQUEST OPEN | SERIES MASTERLIST

The back of the ambulance was tightly packed . This was your least favourite part of being a trauma surgeon, being the one they called when they needed someone fast. A handful of doctors were already at the scene tending to people.

You ran through all the information Joy, the paramedic had mention before you sent off. A boat had capsized near the pier, you weren’t sure what injures you would need to treat but you were ready.

As much as you wanted to keep your mind on your job, your mind kept finding its way to Stephen. After his accident he became more of an ass than he already was. You did everything you could to help him, gave him all the time you had to give. You were there every time he woke up from an operation along with Sparkles his not-girlfriend.

Operation after operation. The only thing that changed was his mood. After his last chance failed, he disappeared looking for something that would help, you only reason you knew he was still alive was thanks to Sparkles, she was the only person he’d talk too.

"Dr Gold we're here" Joy called from the front seat.

You snap out your head, grabbing your kit jumping out the back of the ambulance. when you were out you looked out at the scene before you, people lay on the floor, doctors attending to at least three patients each.

After a deep breath you got straight to work, assessing how serious their injuries where and if they could wait. Thankfully there wasn’t many serious injuries, you started to walk towards the information centre when you spotted something, no someone in the distance.

You started to run towards them, no wonder they hadn’t been seen they were hid behind a shipping container. “Sir can you hear me?” you reached down and tried to find a pulse, you sighed with relief finding one. “Okay sir, can you tell me what hurts?”.

Turning away you reached for your kit, you looked around wishing you hadn’t come alone if something happened now you didn’t have many options.

“Sir. I need to check your injures. Can you to tell me where it hurts” you tried again, checking his pupils, at least you could rule out a brain injury for now.

“my arm”

You looked down to his left arm, “okay, everything will be alright sir” you smile down to him, he just nods weakly back.

From where you were you couldn't get a good look at the arm. With one last look around you walk around and knelt by his other side. The cold sea air hit your back making the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

You breathed. Reached down to pull away his coat. Saw a deep red cut. You reached across to get some gauze from your kit. And then you were falling backwards. Everything moved in slow motion, you didn’t feel anything until you hit the cold water.

Shock. You were going to go into shock . You started to kick against the current as it tossed you around, you saw the water ripping above you. Just a little more and you’ll be fine, then you hit a pillar. You gasped pain distracting you, the water rushed into your lungs.

You felt a burning in your chest. The dizziness from your head was worse, you were sure there was blood mixed with the water.

You movements got slower, you breathed again, forgetting it was all water.

Would anyone find you? would they get to you in time?

Your movement was no existence now. The burning stopped, not a good side but you were too hazy to care. You closed your eyes.

A cloudless blue sky met your eyes. Birds flew above calling out to one another. Blinking you tried to remember where you were and why you were looking up at the sky in damp clothes.

You remember the water, it filling your lungs until you couldn’t take it anymore. You must have washed up on the shore, slowly you stood up looking around for help. Everything was the same. But everything was different. You were forgetting something, you just didn’t know what.

“How did I end up here?” you wonder turning in a full circle. Looking down at yourself, the blue dress and white apron sent an odd feeling through your chest. Lay on the floor next to you was a long brown coat.

You tried to think back before you fell in the water but nothing came up, whatever you were doing before was out of reach now.

You walked from the shore, trying to find your way to the streets. After 5 minutes of wondering around until the site of a building stopped you. You couldn’t point out why but you knew it.

You needed to touch it, something about it was different, you thought it you didn't feel it everything would disappear like a dream. Your hand was shaking as you reached out, the brick was cold and hard under your touch “what am I doing?” you murmured questioning yourself.

All around you people were getting on about their lives, talking, and laughing, among it all only one thing stood out. Someone was yelling. Either no one else heard what was going on or they just didn’t care.

When you looked down the closers alley you saw two men fighting, no, a man fighting a young boy.

“Hey!” you yell before you could think. The two, stop fighting looking your way.

“Nothing to worry about, honey. Move along” he man winked over his shoulder.

You huffed a breath of anger and walk closer, you pulled the man back by his shoulder. “I think it is”. The man was too shocked to move at first, staring at you opened mouthed like a fish. “Word to the wise don’t call anyone, love again”. You pulled him further away from the kid.

His eyes flashed with anger , he lifted his hand to hit you. You dodged it, then threw your own punch to his chin, then a kick to his stomach. He fell to the ground, your breath came heavy as you looked down at him.

A noise to your left took your attention away. That when you remember the young boy. “Are you okay?”, you reach out and to help him up.

“ Thank you miss, but I had it under control” he got up without your help, leaving your hand hanging in the air.

Closer up you could see he wasn’t a boy but a smaller grown man.

“He says that all the time” a voice laughed from behind.

You jumped turning around. There was another man, a rather handsome one.

“I’m guessing he likes to make a habit of it then” you breath smiling. “I’m afraid I can’t just let a bully get his own way” you nodded down to the passed-out man by your feet, “I might have hit him a bit too hard”.

The handsome man shrugged. “Teach him a lesson, no one wants to get taken down by a woman”.

You laughed.

Someone clears their throat, “Bucky”.

You turn away raising an eyebrow. “what?”

He nodded to the handsome man behind you, “His name. And I’m Steve”.

You smile nodding, “Nice to met you”.

“So Goldie, how come you’re soaking?” Bucky spoke.

You looked at him confused. “That’s not my name-“.

“Sorry nurse Gold how come you’re soaking wet” he waved his hand.

“Nurse?” you laughed.

Bucky pointed to your chest, “Your name tag says nurse Gold”.

“Is everything alright?” Steve had moved so that he could stand in front of you, Bucky had come closer too.

You reached up again and touched your head, it was still wet. “I feel into the water and I must have hit my head”.

“Can we help?” Steve asked worried, he put his hand on your shoulder, like you were going to fall any minute.

You laughed, “You don’t have any dry clothes lying around do you?”.

taglist open!

[larphacks]

Process Hack: Welfare

Hi all! After a long hiatus, ya boy is back with more unsolicited advice!

What are we talking about this week? It’s LARP welfare!

Common at medium and large games, the role of welfare officer, sometimes called “site parent”, and sometimes divided into crew welfare and player welfare, is very important. It’s also something which can go really smoothly if you do some decent prep before the event. I’ve been discussing the role with some LARPer friends recently, and I’ve put together some advice for good ways to tackle this role.

Some of the below advice falls into the category of sensible prep that everyone can do before a game too, so feel free to read even if you don’t hold (or want to hold) a position like this!

Some of the jobs I outline below might not fall into every welfare officer’s purview - mix and match as you choose. (If you’ve been asked to look after player or crew welfare and don’t know which of the below are your responsibilities, that means you need to have a chat with the chief organisers and find out!)

1. Positive Energy

This can be a surprisingly high-energy role. Particularly in the crew room, one of the most important things a welfare officer can do is be positive and energetic when everyone is feeling a bit tired and down. This is hard! But a bit of jollying-along goes a huge way to changing the dynamic. This is even harder when YOU'RE the one feeling tired and cold and sad. But if you are visibly struggling, nobody will approach you when they need help! A "brave face" is your best weapon.

2. Shut Up!

Sometimes you need to be the "voice of reason" - getting people to concentrate, or quiet down, when it's important that something needs to be done quickly. One good way to do this is to be cheerful enough most of the time that people LISTEN on the rare occasions that you raise your voice and ask them to please shut up for a minute.

3. Early Start, Late Finish

The two above points are ESPECIALLY important during set-up and take-down. You need to be "on the ball"/on duty during periods where other people are transiting into and out of the game. During set-up, your keen crew and players will all be busy frothing and sniffing each other's butts because they haven't seen each other for a year, they want to show off their new kit, and their adrenaline is through the roof. But - it's 30 minutes to time-in and nobody's in kit and the IC areas aren't set-dressed. You need to get them moving!

During take-down, everyone is exhausted, a bit overwhelmed, and wants to sleep (including the refs). But the site needs to be taken down, cleaned and tidied up, lost property needs to be organised, and there are always last-minute disasters involved in the logistics of getting people off site. You can't collapse now - your job isn't done. You might not be in charge of take-down, but you ARE the right person to gently corral and rally tired people towards the plan.

4. Who does what?

If you're the first point of call for someone who's having an issue, being able to confidently signpost to other crew is really important. So firstly, you should know exactly what the other other staff members do and where they're likely to be (in both time and space). If a player comes to you and says "I'm really struggling with the Sorcery rules and I feel very stupid", then sure, you can (and should!) offer them some immediate comfort and consolation. But in order to help them with the root of the problem, you need to know several bits of information:

a) What are the different staff members' responsibilities/expertises? Who does what? (Mike is the person who handles Sorcery rules.) b) Where in space are the other staff located? (Mike is currently refereeing the Clawed Fiend encounter on top of the hill.) c) When in time are the other staff available? (The Clawed Fiend encounter can't be interrupted. It is scheduled to end at 2100hrs. Mike should come back to the crew room after that.)

I'd also recommend you have a good "ticket-tracking" system to make sure your incoming queries are handled and nobody falls through the cracks. You could devolve this onto players ("Come back at 2110hrs and ask to speak to Mike") but it will help things flow smoothly if you are also logging things yourself. I'd recommend carrying a small notebook and pen so you can note things down and tick things off. You can also help things along by being an active communicator and setting the emotional context for solutions. If Mike comes back at 2100 and immediately gets jumped by an emotional player, he might be tired and confused and not give the best answer. But if he comes back and you tell him "There's a player who is having a bad time with the Sorcery rules, they seem quite distressed, I think you can help, they'll be around in 10 minutes" then he won't be surprised and will have the right bit of his brain switched on.

5. It’s all in the Filofax

There is admin information about players/crew which will really help you if something goes wrong too. I'd suggest having the following on-hand, glued into your notebook, on a tablet, or otherwise kept secure on your person (since some of it's sensitive personal data):

a) A list of everyone's allergies and medical conditions. b) A list of qualified first-aiders, and the locations of first-aid kits. c) A list of every vehicle on site, registration number against player/crew name, in case you need a car moved in a hurry. d) A rough understanding of who arrived from where, with whom. It doesn't need to be exhaustive, but if the vehicle which brought 6 people from London breaks down irrecoverably, then being able to help sketch out solutions to get those people and their kit home will be massively easier if you know roughly where people came from.

6. The Outside World

You are likely to also need to be able to signpost to help *outside* the game. If a player comes to you with a problem that can't be fixed with on-site resources, what are you going to do about it? You can't predict every scenario, but at a minimum I'd suggest having the following prepared:

a) A breakdown service for the vehicle that won't start (in the UK the most common is the AA). b) A mental health or emotional support helpline, like the Samaritans (116123). c) The emergency number for injured wildlife - in the UK, the RSPCA (0300 1234 999). d) The emergency and non-emergency medical numbers (in the UK: 999 emergency, 111 non-emergency) and police numbers (UK: 999 emergency, 101 non-emergency). e) A clear understanding of where on site you can get mobile phone signal. f) A plan for how you would get an ambulance onto site if you needed one: run through the whole thing (where on site can I get enough signal to call the ambulance? What is the postcode of the site, and do I have a set of clear directions to give the dispatcher in my notebook? Who am I sending to the site entrance to walk the ambulance on? Is their most likely route of approach clear for a large vehicle?). If you've never called an ambulance in this country, then ask someone who *has* to practice with you, so you understand what questions they'll ask and in what order.

7. Kit & kaboodle

The following are things which LARPers reliably fail to provide for themselves, and which you will benefit greatly if you have on hand. Find out from the organisers what your budget is, and buy accordingly:

a) Salty snacks (crisps/nuts) and quick energy (sweets/fruit). Keep a small separate store aside from the usual 'crew food' to help someone who is struggling. b) The ability to make a hot sweet drink in a hurry. c) Hydration solution (Dioralyte, Powerade, or the cheap alternative, which is six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt per litre of clean water). d) Paper and pens. e) High-powered torch (for searching for lost objects). f) Your own phone on an in-country network, plus at least one charged mobile phone powerbank with multiple charger ends. g) Ice packs - ideally the "squeeze to activate" sort so you aren't relying on the site freezer. (Most common item left out of first aid kids - and immediate relief/comfort for the most common LARP injuries.) h) Warm blankets. i) An idea of how you'd provide a simple hot meal in a hurry. (This could be a packet of rice you can chuck in the microwave, a cup-soup and kettle, a ration pack and a Jetboil, or a good understanding of what the caterers' plan is for an emergency meal.)

If someone is in a lot of distress, going through the process of dealing with their physical needs (food/water/temperature/etc.) can often help them become better able to communicate their psychological/emotional needs. Often a LARPer who is dehydrated or low on blood sugar doesn't KNOW that's the problem, they just know they feel awful and are crashing hard.

8. Know the Ground

KNOW YOUR SITE - I can't stress this enough. If someone has a costume disaster and needs somewhere private to change, where can they do that? If someone is overwhelmed and needs a quiet, safe, cool (or warm) room or tent to lie down in for an hour, where can they do that? If a shy new player shows up and asks "Where do I put my kit?", then being able to answer them quickly and competently with a smile on your face will immediately endear you (and mean that they WILL come to you later, when they're suffering, instead of sitting alone on their bed being sad about it).

9. Late Bloomers

What is the late arrivals plan? If you went IC at 1900 and the traffic means some of your players don't arrive till 2200, then most of your key refs/crew will be busy running the game. You're the most likely person to escort the late arrivals onto site, get them set up, and get them integrated into the game. You'll need to reassure, but you'll also need to understand a lot of admin details to make sure they don't feel any more overwhelmed and embarrassed than they already do. This might involve giving a second safety briefing, pointing out any last-minute changes that weren't included in the game pack, and pointing them to the right ref to get their characters timed in. You can be as nice and friendly as you like - but some people will be even more reassured by practical, reliable and clear directions when they’re feeling rushed and panicky.

10. Herd those Cats

What is the crew plan? Depending on role, you may or may not be involved in "crew wrangling" - this is often a separate role, and deserves its own post. But even if you aren't "crew boss", you need to understand and be able to help balance crew energy and engagement. If there are long periods where crew are likely to be sitting around bored, where are the "pick-up-and-play" roles they can briefly read, digest, and go out to engage in? If crew are doing three hours of back-to-back combat roles, where is the plan for ensuring that they're all fed, watered, rested and properly kitted before their next high-energy role? The best refs will have considered this and have a clear plan for managing crew in small teams to maintain their energy levels - but as a welfare officer you are likely to be the advocate/interface if it doesn't seem to be working well, so make sure you understand where the weak spots and frictions in the plan might be so you can deal with them in advance.

What happens if a crew member comes to you and says they're really struggling with their NPC role and aren't enjoying it? (If you're the approachable face, they'll likely come to you first before a busier ref!) Do you understand the crew matrix well enough to think about solutions, alternative roles they could do, or how the timetable could be re-worked to end their role early? Wherever possible, you should strive to go to the refs with a solution rather than a problem: "Harry is struggling and I think if we brought the poisoning forward an hour, then let him play a gremlin for the rest of the night, that would fix it" is better than "Harry is struggling". They may not accept your solution, but the conversation is already moving onto alternative ways to fix the problem.

11. Easy In, Easy Out

How do players enter/leave the game if they're fatigued or unwell? Your game may not have a clear system for this, and it may be players' own responsibility to manage their fatigue. However, some will struggle to cross the IC/OC divide here: if the character is fighting for their life, how do they resolve that with the player needing to have a lie-down for an hour so they're safe to drive the next day? One of the best games I've run had a clear, signposted system where players who needed a break could "vanish" IC (with a clear IC logic for their disappearance) and take as much time as they wanted. When they were rested, they could go see a ref for a special briefing which told them what had happened while they were away (and explained how they reappeared). You won't find this in every game, but think about ways to make taking an OC break feel like a positive and productive experience, which leaves the character with plenty to talk about when they return, rather than a potentially embarrassing one which leaves the player out-of-the-loop and feeling like they've missed out on the fun.

12. Look After Number One!

Practice active self-care, both to facilitate all of the above and as a good example to others. Going back to the first point, most people can't project positive energy if they're sad, wet, cold, tired and hungry. Have a routine worked out to look after yourself. Understand what you can and can't do and work to your limitations. If you have lots of physical energy but are struggling to deal with six emotional crises in a row, get up and walk around site. If moving exhausts you, pick a central location to base yourself and make sure all the things you need to do your job are in easy reach.

Feel free to reblog with your own additions, checklist items or hacks for looking after your fellow LARPers’ welfare. Suggestions gratefully accepted!

[luvlyrv]

Naughty | pt. 5 | Irene x F!Reader | Mafia!AU

Summary: Two crime bosses entangled in a deadly and tension filled rivalry start to find themselves entanglesd in a different kind of relationship

Not without going through a lot of death, pain, fighting and teasing first of course.

Word Count: 3.6k

A/N: Considering how long this chapter is it took a while to rewrite and get my footing again haha. Hope you guys enjoy :)

Date: 1/16/21

Series Masterlist

Part 5: A Blossoming Affair

Date. Date. Date. The word rang in your head, every second of the day, ever since the idea was brought up. It's been a bit over a week now, and you've been restless.

You groan as you stop looking at the map in front of you and lean your head back on your chair. You raise your hands and pull on your eyes, trying desperately to keep yourself awake. You're tired. Tired of it all. Ever since that day you've been living in paranoia of Irene's next move. Or was it anticipation? Every time you turn a corner your heart races, it races in fear that maybe you'll meet your end, it races at the thought of seeing Irene again. Wait, what were you talking about? Why would you want to see her?

Just to kill her of course. Your train of thought ends there.

All of a sudden you hear a knock coming over from your door and a deep muffled voice comes after.

"It's me, Taehyung." The voice says. You sigh back a response.

"Yes, come in."

The door creaks slightly as the man opens the door and makes his way to your desk. He pulls out the chair across from you, bringing it over to your side as he sits down on it. He looks over at you, eyes glistening with worry as he strokes your back. You look away from him.

"Y/N, you've been working a lot more than usual… " He begins to say. The thought jolted you, because it was true. You've been doing nonstop planning and organizing recently, which meant that nearly everyone else was working more too. You look back at Taehyung, an apology already quickly escaping your mouth.

"I'm sorry, have I been putting too much on your plate? I'll try to pick up more of the slack, just rest Taehyung, don't worry about it." You say, worrying about the health of your friend.

"No no!" Taehyung half-yells. "What I meant was that you have been working too much. Why don't you rest or something? I can take care of it." You shake your head at his offer.

"No, I can't. I'm close to finishing everything anyways. I'll be fine, I swear." You retort while Taehyung just shakes his head. Silences falls over the two of you before he talks again.

"How about I get you a coffee then?" He suggests and offers you a small smile. You just nod while spacing out.

"That sounds good, thanks." At this he jumps out of his seat. Carefully, he places it back across from your desk and leaves your office on the upper floor, descending to the lower parts of the warehouse to get you coffee from god knows where. After a few moments you also decided to leave your office, expecting coffee to be at your desk by the time you finish your little task at hand.

You watch your step going down the stairs until you reach the bottom floor of the warehouse. You walk towards the section of the warehouse where all your vehicles were, watching as people bustled to secure and transport items. There you scanned the heads bobbing around, finally seeing the man you had been communicating with more than usual lately.

Vincent, one of your caporegimes, was seemingly scolding one of the soldiers. You couldn't tell what it was about, but when Vincent raised his head and his eyes met with yours he patted and pushed the soldier away. You approach him and he bows slightly out of respect as you near.

"So, how is everything?" You ask.

"Everything is fine, ma'am." He responds and continues. "We have the strategy down and everyone has been briefed. Men are armed and readied." You nod after hearing this.

"That's good. I already arranged several drivers with vans. Use them to stash and go. They'll be taking a different route from you and will deliver things to a different safe point from here." Vincent hums while thinking before asking you a question.

"Again, are we taking anyone for interrogations?"

"Well I specifically wanted to attack these points since they're considerably more vulnerable than Irene's other bases. Although she has built a highly centralized and well-knit network, this area is newer, leaving it disconnected and weaker. I don't know if she sent out experienced members or inexperienced members to secure the area. I would say take them for interrogations if possible, but don't be surprised if you end up taking rookies who don't know anything valuable."

"If that's all then we can proceed to attack after nightfall, ma'am." Vincent says. You thank him for his time and go upstairs. A subtle weight was lifted off your shoulders after knowing the arrangements you toiled over for the past week would be executed well, but the dread of what was to come was still sitting in your stomach. At the very least though, after checking up on Vincent you could rest for the rest of the day without worry.

You open up the door to your office, the smell of coffee making your body loosen and relax. You walk to your desk and reach for the cup of coffee, taking some big gulps as the warm liquid ran down your throat and heated your hand. When placing it back down onto your desk your eyes spotted something you swore wasn't there before.

You go around your desk and sit on your chair while reaching out for the letter lying in front of you. You pick it up, realizing it was cardstock. You traced your fingers over the gold patterning on the borders of the cardstock, bringing your eyes to the center of it there were large golden letters. Everything about it was akin to a fancy wedding invitation. You stopped admiring the beauty of the piece of paper as your heart stopped. The center read "TO: Y/N".

You quickly flipped over the paper to the other side only to have your worst fears confirmed.

Dear Y/N,

Meet me at my place at 9:00 pm. Be timely. This is not a request.

Wear something nice, why don't you? Don't wear a mask, I want to see your face for myself.

Don't bring any weapons or anyone to accompany you. Wouldn't you like some alone time with me?

Sincerely,

Irene

You raggedly let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in. What the hell were you supposed to do now?

You decided that certainly you had to go. The entire letter that Irene had left for you had a sinister tone in it. You didn't want to even imagine what Irene could possibly do if you enraged her at this point. Another part of you though, one that you didn't want to admit, was wanting to go just to see her again. Just to see what would happen.

Nothing about this screamed safe though. Your foot rapidly tapped the floor as you rested your elbows on your desk. Your hands supported your head as you thought. You couldn't bring anyone with you directly to Irene, sure, but you could easily have Taehyung stake out in a car a block or two away. He'd be able to arrive in case of an emergency in a suitable amount of time.

Bringing a weapon would be a sign of aggression, a sign that you didn't trust her. How in the world could she expect you to trust her though? Did she take you for a fool? You came to the conclusion that you'd have to bring something small and concealable. A pocket pistol would come in handy in this situation. Easy to conceal, and although it wasn't the highest caliber weapon out there it would do the job in the presumably close quarters you'd be in with Irene.

There was also the problem of how. How did this invitation just appear on your desk? At this point you could only assume the worst. There was a rat amidst your family. Disposing of traitors was always costly. It's a procedure that's hard to do in a timely and effective manner. It's a procedure that usually meant a large loss of numbers in an attempt to weed them all out.

You sigh. It was just too much to think about at the moment, and so you saved that worry for the backburner, because a much more pressing one was appearing at the moment. Why now? Why would Irene send out the invitation now?

You jump out of your desk and run down, hurriedly finding Vincent again. His eyes widen in surprise as you suddenly appear in front of him and blurt out an order.

"Cancel everything. Don't attack tonight and get in touch with the other capos to tighten security everywhere." You say breathlessly.

"What, why?" He talks back confused.

"Hard to explain, just do it." You order and he complies, rushing to his men and informing them. You run out of the warehouse and find your car to drive home. As you speed down the road the sky is painted in hues of blue and pink. You can't waste time admiring the site though as you quickly send texts to cancel the drivers that were supposed to be sent out later that night.

You park your car when you reach your house, opening your doors and rushing upstairs. You call Taehyung as you swing open your closet door. The phone only rings twice as he immediately answers.

"Hello?" You hear him ask.

"Taehyung, come to my place right now. I'm meeting Irene soon." You don't give him the time to respond as you end the call and throw the phone onto your bed. Your attention is now fully focused on the clothing in front of you. Wait, why were you trying to look good? It didn't matter what you wore as long as it was considered fancy. You picked out a suit and tie with matching dress pants and shoes. You quickly change into it, sighing as you looked in the mirror.

You do your hair while staring at your eyes, the dark discoloration becoming more noticeable the more you stared. Just as you finished you heard your doorbell ringing. You went downstairs and opened up the door for Taehyung. He steps inside, looking at you with a surprised face.

"What's going on with Irene?" He asks you as he closes the door behind him. He goes over to your couch in the living room and you sit across from him.

"I was sent an invitation today." You cross your legs while looking at him. His eyebrows furrow as he continues thinking. "I'm meeting her at 9, just two hours from now. This causes a lot of issues and we need to address them now."

"Talk." You've fully piqued his interest as he tilts his head and quietly fidgets with his hands.

"First, I need you to accompany me. I can't bring you with me to her place, but I need you to be there in case of an emergency. Stay in the car a block or two away so you can come if needed. Second, there's a traitor among us who Irene used to deliver me that invitation. Third, I have a really bad feeling about all of this." You can't help but to chuckle a bit at the last statement.

"Alright, I can come with you. I guess you want to talk details about the traitor before we head out then?"

"Yeah." You take a pause before asking one more question. "And by the way, do I look fancy enough in this?" Taehyung bursts open in laughter.

"Of course you do, don't you always?"

*

*

An hour passes and you decide to freshen up a little bit. You were going to be going on a 'date' with Irene after all. You also carefully tuck a pocket pistol into your back pocket. Meanwhile Taehyung continues writing down in small notebook, scribbling down notes from the conversation the two of you just finished.

"Ready to go?" A couple seconds pass before Taehyung stops his writing. He mumbles out an mhm in affirmation and then walks out of your house with you. The cold night air nips at your skin when you open your grand doors. The sound of your nervous heartbeat and your shoes hitting the pavement seemed to merge as you got closer to the car.

With the soft whirr of the car engine, the occasional bump on the road, and the warm seat you were sitting on, the fatigue that clouded your mind seemed to take over as you fell asleep. Apparently the coffee from earlier wasn't enough. It felt like you had only blacked out for a second before you felt your body shake from Taehyung's touch urging you to wake up.

"Sorry sleeping beauty, but we're already here."

You force yourself to get up, and soon enough you're back in front of a familiar penthouse door. You notice that Irene had installed a new, very much not broken, handle. You also see that there's a door buzzer off to the side and you press the button.

"Who's there?" A voice rings from the device in front of you.

"Your date." The response is blunt and hopefully emotionless. You don't need to give any clue about your exhaustion or nervousness about your encounter with her.

"Come on in."

Soon after you hear a soft click, likely the door unlocking itself. You turn the handle. Wanting to be cautious you decide to open the door slowly, peering into the small sliver of space you opened. The lighting of the penthouse is dim… romantic, even? As you continue to open the door bit by bit, looking at more and more of your surroundings, you feel relieved that at the very least you aren't walking into a squad of people pointing guns at you. You decide to open the door fully and walk in, closing the door behind you.

"Welcome." It's a curt welcoming, but it's said with such a sultry voice. You move your eyes to the small figure sitting across a small dining table in the middle of the vast living space. You walk to the table, pulling out the chair across from the woman and sitting down, seeing a plate of already prepared food waiting for you. Irene looks down at her wrist.

"9 o'clock sharp. I'm glad you're responsible enough to be on time." She looks back up from her watch with a smirk on her face and a glint in her eyes. She takes the opportunity to look at you up and down. "I didn't expect such a pretty face, albeit you seem quite tired. The suit looks nice on you, although…" Irene leaves her seat and approaches you.

You turn your body to look at her, noticing how Irene is wearing a dress again. This time it was a long-sleeved blazer style dress that gave her an angular, sharp form. As she nears you, your left hand subtly crawled towards your back, anxiously awaiting a moment where drawing a firearm would be needed.

That moment doesn't come though, as Irene's cold fingers ghost your neck and finish buttoning up your shirt for you. She finishes off by gently tightening your tie around your collar. Your exhaustion must've made you overlook some small details.

"Better now." She mutters, seemingly dissatisfied with how messy you looked earlier.

"Excuse you, that was a stylistic choice." You try to let go of your nerves and attempt to joke. Just like last time, Irene doesn't seem to laugh much, but she gives you a quick exhale and a continued smirk. She returns to her seat and picks up her silverware. She looks down and begins slicing into a cut of meat.

"Well, since you're in my home, on a date that I invited you to, about to eat a meal that I prepared," Irene looks back at you and tilts her head. "I think you should humor me and the stylistic choices I prefer." Then she continues on with her meal.

You look at your own plate, taking in the appealing colors and appetizing smell it gave off. Did Irene really make this for you? She went through all of that effort just for this? You can't help but feel something off about your chest. You pick up the silverware set on your side of the table, picking spoonful of food. You almost eat it until you remember the type of situation you're in.

"How do I know you didn't poison my food?" Irene stops eating and looks at you.

"I guess I can't blame you for worrying about that." She responds. Suddenly she leans forward on the table. "Feed me. I wouldn't eat it if I knew it's poisoned right?" She opens up her mouth. You can't tell if she's bluffing anymore.

Hesitantly, you bring the spoon to her mouth, and she eats it and stops leaning forward. As if nothing happened she looks off to the side, reaching for a wine glass. It was at that moment that you decided Irene was a weird person, you were in a weird situation, and that you actually weren't quite sure how to feel. After Irene's strange way of proving that your meal wasn't laced with anything deadly, you ate.

You're glad you ate, because honestly if this was what caused you to die you would've died happy.

"Were you a chef in a past life or something?" You ask before going in for another bite. Irene's smile seems to widen.

"No, although I am very much flattered." Before you could further compliment the woman's cooking Irene's phone rang.

"Hello?" As she answers her phone her gaze turns from the floor to your face. She nods her head as she responds to the other person on the line. "Alright then, I'll deal with it later." Irene's face is serious as she looks at you and tucks away her phone.

"What happened?"

"You happened."

"Could you further elaborate?"

"Let's just say I'm impressed." Irene admits while giving you her undivided attention. Although her face looks stern, she seems to be brimming with curiosity at the same time. "How did you know?"

"Once again, you're gonna have to stop talking so vaguely." You complain and Irene sighs.

"How did you know my men would attack?" She finishes the question with a short laugh. It scared you a little bit to see her reaction. Instead of being mad at her defeat she seemed rather entranced. Excited, perhaps?

"Isn't it obvious?" You don't look at her as you begin to explain, instead opting to focus on your food. "I mean, you can't just give me a physical invitation without someone being there to place it on my desk, right?"

"Right."

"So obviously you have a person in cahoots with you that's also in my circle." You pop a piece of a crispy potato in your mouth. Damn could Irene season like a goddess. "If you have someone that's there in that warehouse with me, they could easily know my plans, and the timing of when you wanted this date to happen was just too weird, don't you think?"

"I suppose you can look at it that way."

"So really, I think you already knew my plans. I think you wanted me here in front of you as I receive news of you raiding me when I've moved my soldiers to raid your bases. That's how I decided to reinforce my defenses tonight." You look back at her, and once again you're astonished at the fact she wasn't angry. She hums in contentment before speaking further.

"You know, this leads me to what I truly wanted to talk about tonight."

"And that would be?"

"I think we should form an alliance." As her words leave her mouth you immediately freeze up in confusion. Your eyebrows furrow. This wasn't the direction you expected things to go. Honestly, you just thought Irene would continue trying to weirdly play and analyze you, not suddenly suggest allying with each other when the last time you had met you both admitted to wanting to kill each other.

"Why?"

"I've been thinking ever since we last met." Irene reaches for the wine glass at the side of the table again. "I think you're interesting." She plainly admits. Again, there's a strange feeling in your chest and you begin to associate it more and more with Irene. "Tonight, I think you really proved that you're capable."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because, Y/N, we're both women. We're both women in a world that's dominated by men who underestimate us to a fault. If we work together we're both going to benefit and rule the criminal underground. Besides…" Her voice seems to falter as she lifts the wine glass close to her face, swirling around the crimson liquid. "This isn't just a business decision. This is a selfish decision, because I'm selfishly interested in you. I want to know you better." She stretches our her arm, bringing the glass high at the center of the table. "So, do you accept, Y/N?"

This is a bad idea.

Your hand slowly reaches for the relatively untouched glass that was set for you.

Didn't you swear to kill her just a week ago?

You lift it to your mouth, lips making contact with the glass and taking a sip of the wine.

Would it be weird to admit that you want to know more about Irene too?

The clink of the two glasses making contact creates a smile on your face.

"Deal."

[stealingpotatoes]

I am OBSESSED with your Desmond lives AU!! I want Shaun and Rebecca to be able to give Desmond all the hugs, I want Desmond to be able to choose to be an Assassin, to be able to help save the world again. Also, I am very curious about how you would resurrect Desmond, because I’ve had similar thoughts on such an AU, but I currently stick it near the end of Valhalla with the stuff that happens there. If you ever feel like expanding on it, I'd be super excited to see more!!!

first of all, AH THANK YOU!!! Yes those are ALL points that are very important to the Des Lives AU! Second of all, thank you so much for this ask in general!!! I was hoping someone would send an ask like this so I’d get an excuse to talk abt the AU more lmao XD!! I made this AU back in March last year, so there’s no Valhalla stuff in it, and it’s set right after/ during the Odyssey DLCs. 

The long story short for my Desmond Rez (rezmond, if you will) is “shroud of eden, abstergo, and some Isu bullshit”. The long story long, however, is uh- you know what? I’m going to use this opportunity to explain the vague story I worked out last year -- but dw, I WILL get to the full ressurection explanation I thought through. However... I’m gonna have to tell the story in smaller parts because I’m lazy and can’t be bothered to write the whole thing out right now. So rez comes later and not in this post. 

also uh-- before we start: I’m going to apologise for like… everything about the way I wrote this. It’s sort-of half fic, half that-way-your-friends-colloquially-tell-stories-that-you-can’t-keep-up-with. Mainly the latter. If you can make sense of this babbling, well done.

 Anyways, without further ado, welcome to:

POTES TRIES TO EXPLAIN HER DESMOND (SORTA) LIVES AU: PART ONE

On the 21st of December 2012, Desmond Miles dies. 

It’s not for nothing -- his sacrifice saves the entire world from a solar flare -- but he is dead. big ripz. The Assassins, his family, do not manage to recover his body. Abstergo gets it first. The Assassins hold a funeral as best they can. They mourn (all in their own ways), they keep fighting (for his memory), and they try to move on (they can’t). 

On the 21st of December 2012, Desmond Miles died -- so when he shows up in a city in October 2018, almost 6 years later, it’s a bit of a shock for everyone. What’s even more of a shock is the fact he’s glowing like an Isu and has some abilities he DEFINITELY didn’t have when he died.

So Desmond wakes up in the middle of some city in he doesn’t know where (yeah ok i just never really worked out where the secret lab would be), with 1. no idea of how he got there and 2. no idea why his arms are glowing like that. He doesn’t get much time to think about it because then there’re a load of Abstergo goons with guns surrounding him. Des may have no idea what’s happening, but he knows one thing: when u see an Abstergo, it’s on sight. So he’s fighting them -- which is admittedly not fun or easy when you’re in the middle of a road and only have your fists as weapons. It’s not going well and then someone definitely manages to shoot Desmond which is very bad -- but then Des feels some very weird (but not unfamiliar) feeling and when he looks up from the bullet wound, every one of the Abstergos are on the floor???? He doesn’t think to check if they’re dead, just legs it out of there lmao. 

//

Elsewhere, in an Assassin safehouse in an undisclosed location (can you tell I just didn’t think about the geography of anything), Mr Shaun Hastings is chilling on a balcony after a mission well done. Good for him. Then Rebecca Crane (queen ilu) yells “Shaun?” from inside. 

“Rebecca?” 

“Come inside. Now.”

Shaun immediately does so because he assumes it’s important or they’re under threat. “What happened? Have we been compromised?”

Rebecca doesn’t answer. 

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Shaun says, mostly joking and with a little smirk -- though Becs looks spooked. 

“Desmond’s alive.”

Shaun’s not smirking anymore. “What?”

“Desmond’s... he’s alive.”

“What are you talking about? Are you high?” he’s totally about to look at her eyes to see if they’re all dilated and druggy. 

“No Shaun, I mean it!” Becs harshly shoves her tablet into his hands. 

Shaun doesn’t really know what he’s expecting to see when he looks down at the screen. What he’s not really expecting to see is Desmond Miles, who’s been dead for six years, fighting a load of Abstergo people -- while lined in Isu markings (also he’s not wearing a shirt forgot got to mention). ??? But wtf??!?! Desmond’s dead. That’s...

“It’s security camera footage from [the city]... About two hours ago.” Rebecca then swipes through more footage with shaky hands and explains that Des very violently burst out of an Abstergo facility in the city with glowing eyes and light leaking out of him (almost like an Apple of Eden). Then the glowing eyes and shining lights shuts off abruptly and Des is standing in the middle of the road looking very confused at his precursor-ass arms and chest. But Shaun is barely listening to what she’s saying and barely even looking at the screen. 

“Where did you get this?” Shaun asks with a hollow voice, not looking up. 

“The Initiates.” (bc who else)

Shaun looks at it again, then at Rebecca, and he’s mildly aware of the fact he’s slightly tearing up; “That’s fake. That can’t be him. He’s dead, Becs. We both saw the…” They both saw the autopsy footage the ac4 researcher got from Abstergo -- or at least, tried to watch it; they shut it off as soon as Shaun ran to the bathroom to throw up and Rebecca quickly joined him. They spent the rest of that night crying and drinking way too much. 

“He died.” Shaun concludes firmly. 

And so Becs is all like “yeah but what if he didn’t?? We need to find him. We need to investigate this.” There’s a determination in her eyes and Shaun knows he’s not going to be able to convince her to drop this -- not that he would. Desmond might be alive, and there is no way they’re going to leave him again. 

They’re both standing there in pure shock and confusion, not saying anything. 

Rebecca’s comm device lights up and starts buzzing, snapping them out of their general ????-ness. Becs goes to her desk to grab it, glances at the caller id and then shows it to Shaun. It’s William Miles. 

The two of them share a Look. They know what he’s calling about -- what else would it be? There’s a stilted moment of neither of them doing anything before Rebecca finally accepts the call. “William?” 

“How quickly can you and Shaun get to [city]?” William sounds shaken -- probably the same way Rebecca and Shaun are -- which is a very weird way to hear the Mentor of the Brotherhood sound. He’s seen the footage, hasn’t he? 

“In a few hours,” Rebecca replies. 

“Good. You need to get there as soon as possible.” 

Everyone’s silent for a few moments. 

“Is this about Desmond?” Rebecca asks. Dumb question. 

There’s a pause. “You’ll be briefed on the ground.” And then he hangs up before Shaun or Rebecca can yell at him.

This is all moving very fast. Shaun and Rebecca share another look. Guess they’re going to [city].  ???

// 

Fast forward several hours and Rebecca and Shaun are in The City [might just have to make the city london bc it’s the one city i actually know well -- however for plot reasons we’ll see later, a swiss city might be better… moving on!]. They get to an assassin base and meet up with Galina Voronina and 2 local assassins. Idk if you’ve read the comics, but to sum things up quickly, Galina and her team were investigating and then ended Project Phoenix -- so Galina now really wants to find out if the whole Desmond thing has anything to do with that. 

Galina also wants to help Shaun and Rebecca get their friend back. They’re her friends, but equally she just lost one of her teammates to Abstergo (while ending Phoenix like 2 months ago, in the comics) and is uh- idk how to say it but she wants to help Shaun & Becs who have a chance to get their lost teammate back.

What follows is cool gang-gang trying to track down any trace of Desmond. You’d think it wouldn’t be hard to find a person who literally glows, but Desmond’s had centuries of Assassin training and knows how to hide lol.. which is making the Assassins’ job harder lol. 

What’s making it even harder is the Assassins know they have to be quick because they know Abstergo is gonna be looking for Desmond too -- and they have way more resources and stuff. That being said, they’re also currently dealing with the fact one of their building and a decent amount of their guards just got absolutely mullered by weird-glowing-desmond. 

The third issue with their entire thing is that they have no idea what they’re going to find when they find Desmond -- or if he even is Desmond. Is he going to be the man they knew but with weird powers? an Abstergo isu-clone? evil? they don’t know, and so they know they’ve got to be wary with him. 

The Assassin gang spend some time (a couple of days at the very most) trying to track Desmond down. Rebecca is using all the tech she can get her hacker mitts on to find a trace of him and equally throw Abstergo off Des’ trail. 

Soon enough, they get a solid lead -- don’t ask for the specifics, i don’t know them. But they get a lead, and it winds them up in an abandoned apartment building or also abandoned building site or something (a building in the city where there aren’t any people, basically). 

Galina scans the place with Eagle Vision and she’s like “There is something very strange about this place.” (someone?) But she doesn’t see a person-shape anywhere. The 5 of them are hopeful but somewhat on edge. 

They go about searching for any sign of Desmond. Galina’s pretty sure her Eagle Vision is just… Messing Up A Lot lol. Like something’s trying to heck with it. So she’s not quite sure it’s working correctly when a load of red figures appear somewhere below them. 

She becomes a lot more sure when the red figures come into sight and START SHOOTING AT THEM! IT’S ABSTERGO!! CRAP! they found them!!

The assassins get down and a really cool fight scene w them vs the Abstergos in the building/ building site starts playing out. Woo Shaun and Rebecca electro-hidden-blade moments!! The fight splits the squad up and Shaun and Rebecca are away from Galina & the others -- but they dispatch the Abstergo guards near them.

They’re about to radio in that they’re all okay/ check if Galina & co are also good when they hear a slightly-too-loud footstep. They whip around to see an Abstergo guard aiming right at them, too far for either of them to get him before he shoots them. crap crap crap.

They would have been shot -- if someone hadn’t come up behind the Abstergo guard and snapped his neck (ouch). 

The Abstergo drops to the ground, revealing the person who saved them and… Shaun and Rebecca stare in shock. 

They’re both looking at Desmond Miles. 

Desmond Miles, who is very much alive (and wearing a hoodie that is 100% stolen). And… with a load of glowing yellow lines on his face. But it’s Desmond -- it’s Desmond for sure. Holy shit.  

Desmond doesn’t seem so shocked, only relieved to see them. Then his expression turns into serious confusion; 

“What the fuck is happening?”

///

ok sorry leaving it there for now! hope you enjoyed what is here will continue soon

[the-alice-of-hearts]

Kids Again Ch 4

<Previous First Next>

He's always running with no one to keep warm

Two years she watched him run the rooftops and do his best to live up to the image that Bruce had, it wore heavy on him. 

She saw him get more reckless, and hurt more often. It was like he was running in circles, he was trying so, so hard to be better. She couldn’t even tell if he knew that’s what he was doing. So she stayed in his head as much as she could, making sure that he didn’t die on her. 

Marinette came to class with bags under her eyes. Her friends watched her up her coffee intake, she moved everyday like she knew something bad was going to happen. She got quieter, more clumsy. She would be there one moment and then in Gotham the next. Kim walked next to her, made sure he was ready to catch her. Alix went with Marinette any place the boys couldn’t. They watched over her; made sure that she didn’t get hurt. 

“Mari?” Alix had asked her in a small voice one day, “when did you sleep last?”

The four of them were lying on her floor, working on homework like they always did. Kim and Nino looked over to see her response. 

“What day is it today?” Marinette stalled for time, hoping that it hadn’t been too long. They got overprotective when she went too long with sleeping, and it wasn’t something she wanted to deal with today. Unfortunately it looked like they weren’t going to answer until she did. She sighed loudly, “I think I got a decent amount on thursday. Slept almost 5 hours before... waking up.”

Kim reached over to hug her, they all knew what was unsaid. She woke up in pain, scared, and hurting.”

Nino came closer as well, “Netté, today is wednesday.” He reached out and held her hands, “go to sleep. We will watch out for you. He usually naps before patrol anyways yeah?”

She rubbed her eyes, “yeah... he does… but we still have homework to finish.”

Alix grabbed the papers that Marinette was reaching for, “and we can finish our own work then help you with yours after you nap.”

Marinette bit her lip trying to stay alert enough to protest, “you’ll fail english without me.”

Kim laughed and tapped his fist on her head, “at the rate you’re going we’ll fail with you too. Please em gái, take a nap. Just a short one will do.” ((Vietnamese: little sister))

---

With that they convinced her to go lay down. The three of them looked at each other, Alix spoke up first, “what do we do if…”

“If he dies.” Nino picked up the train of thought, “I don’t know that we can do anything.”

“I swear to any of the gods listening, if he hurts her, I will kill him myself.” Kim looked at Mari. She was sleeping heavily, but he could see her start to toss and turn. “He’s already giving her nightmares.” 

“All we can do is be steady for her. She needs us to be strong, so we will be. Alix, do you think your dad will let you stay here for a while?” Nino had started planning out all of this weeks ago.

Alix nodded, “yeah I think he’s about to go to an excavation site soon anyways. My brother would be glad to not have to look after me.”

“Good. Kim, can you run interference with the teachers? This is hard enough on her, we don’t need her to have extra stress on her plate.”

“Yeah I can take care of that.” Kim was still looking at her so he saw when she finally let out a sigh and settled down, “how do we make her sleep though?”

“I can help with that.” Sabine had climbed up to check in on then and heard the conversation taking place, “We have her with a therapist, and it will be easy enough to get her prescribed meds for her anxiety and to help her sleep. It’ll just be a matter of making sure she takes them.”

Nino nodded at her, “We can make sure she’s taking them in the morning. I have to take mine each morning and evening on a schedule as well as needed for worse times. I can help there.”

Sabine smiled at him, “thank you Nino, that would help a lot. Alix you can stay here as long as you want, but if it gets to be too much please let us know.” She took on a stern voice, “You shouldn’t have to bear this alone. None of you are to take on more than you can handle. I know you want to help her, but you’re all kids too. I’m not above banning you from the house if I think you are putting too much stress on yourselves.” She reached out to grasp Nino’s hand, “I mean it. I know you know very well what she is going through, but your mom and I have a deal.” 

Nino smiled back, “yes ma’am. I promise.”

Sabine stood up from where she had sat near them, “With that settled, who wants to help me bring up some food for everyone. You all should eat, and Marinette will need to eat when she wakes up.”

Kim offered to go help her. After they left Nino turned to Alix, “you have to make sure she’s taking her meds at night. She won’t want to, and she will try to hide it. But you have always known us better than we know ourselves. You have to make sure she takes them.”

Alix nodded at him grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze, “You know I will. Found family, right?”

“Found family.” he repeated the vow. 

---

Marinette stopped talking one day. She was getting sleep, but she still wasn’t in Paris enough. So she stopped talking. If she didn’t say anything then people noticed less when she left in the middle of a conversation. 

No one else at school noticed. Well no one but Chloé, but even she knew that this was off limits for teasing. Chloé may have become a bitch to Marinette for no known reason, but she knew the limits on what was too far. 

Mariette went silent so Kim got louder. The three hoped that if the teachers were focused on him being a clown that they wouldn’t notice Marinette not participating in class. Kim and Alix started a ‘rivalry’, making sure that any eyes that might stray to Marinette would land back on them. Nino had Marinette sit next to him so he could take notes for her, and nudge her if a teacher was looking at her. He also had the worst job, making her actually take her anxiety meds. Alix and Kim played distraction, Nino played mother hen. 

Marinette from a year ago would still have complained. She would have reminded them that she was a big girl and she could take care of herself. This wasn’t Marinette from a year ago, this was their best friend so scared for her soulmate’s life that she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

---

Then something unexpected happened. 

Marinette spoke up during their study session unprompted for the first time in weeks, “He’s not Robin anymore.”

Alix sharply looked up from where they had been laying, “What?”

They all hesitated waiting for Marinette to continue, “Bruce saw his stitches, he... well he blamed Jason.” She scoffed at the thought, “like the asshole didn’t drive him into his recklessness.” 

“Netté, what happens now?” Nino was always the first one to speak up.

“Bruce said that he was wrong, that he shouldn’t have trusted Jason as Robin. He ran away. He’s stronger now, so being on the streets isn’t as dangerous. But he’s back out there. He went to one of his old hideouts. I don’t know what he’s doing next…” she trailed off and they all waited for her next thought. 

The boys had both moved closer, Alix was still laying on their back looking up at Marinette. They all knew that when her thinking face came out they needed to wait for her to speak up. 

She took a deep breath, “I need you guys to help me get him here. I know it’s a lot to ask, and I totally understand if you can’t help me, but it’s just-“

“How are we going to do that?” Kim asked her, cutting her off. They were all willing to do whatever it took to make Marinette smile again. 

She stared at him for a moment, her mouth in a perfect O, “you’ll really help?”

Alix nudged her leg, “found family right?”

Marinette smiled at that, “yeah, found family.”

She laid out her plan. It would take them all because it involved smuggling Marinette to Gotham, and her parents would notice if she started acting unusually in front of them. 

It only took a week to get things together. Alix had convinced their dad that they were looking into a historical artefact in class and wanted to prove their teacher wrong so they needed to go to America with Marinette as a witness. He bought the story easily, believing Alix when they told him they needed to take Marinette specifically because she knew the city better. Reminding him that her soulmate grew up there. So with two plane tickets the plan was finally in motion. Kim had been bringing his gym bag empty to the group study sessions so that Mari could pack clothes in it. Nino had a suitcase that he had smuggled out when his parents weren’t home. All of it was slowly collected at Alix’s house. Since their dad was still out of town they only had to drop home to take care of their plants, so it made it a really easy place to keep things. 

Then it took another week for their departure date. For the entire two weeks Marinette had been so focused on going to Gotham that she didn’t notice that Jason had been blocking her. Later she would know that he didn’t even realize he was doing it. 

They were at school the day before they would be on their way to Gotham when Mari checked in on Jason, making sure that she could find him. Hoping that he was in a place that she would easily be able to find him. He wasn’t. He wasn’t even in Gotham. He was in a desert, with a woman. She looked a little like Jason, but his mom had died… and this wasn’t Catherine.

Marinette looked up at Kim with fear in her eyes, “Something is wrong.” she said it quietly. With Alix’s hearing, Kim’s ability to read lips, and Nino sitting next to her it was easy to be sure that they all knew something was happening. 

Kim acted fast, shooting a rubber band at Chloé made her stand up and start yelling. That provided enough distraction for Alix to get over to Marinette’s other side. With Nino and Alix surrounding her, and Kim playing distraction she was able to completely follow Jason. It wasn’t good, he was with the woman. He called her mom, guess that explained why he wasn’t in Gotham. When Joker appeared Marinette gasped. 

_____________________________________

She was loud enough that Rose and Juleka looked over at her. Alix shielded Marinette’s body as much as they could, trying to make sure that no one could see her face. The terror on it shouldn’t be seen by anyone else. They took care of each other, and Marinette would be mortified if she found out someone else knew what she was going through. But not even with the combined efforts of all three of their strengths could they keep the attention off of her when the screaming started. 

It was like listening to a horror movie. Marinette’s screams ripped through the classroom. If you asked anyone to describe it they would tell you it was like being in a room that was filled with terror. 

“Everyone get out!!” Chloé yelled loudly. Alix looked up at her in surprise, not expecting Chloé of all people to help. Between Chloé and Kim they got the classroom cleared in less than a minute. “I’m gonna stand outside the door so no one comes in. Just, take care of her yeah?” with that she walked out of the room and closed the door. They could see her shadow still there. True to her word no one came in the classroom. Unfortunately everyone in their hall could hear the screams. 

“Netté, please. You have to listen to my voice. You have to come back, come back to Paris. You don’t want to see this. Please come back to us.” Alix finally clued back into Nino’s voice. He was trying to get her to come back, but it didn’t seem to be working. 

____________________________

Marinette wasn’t listening to Nino, she was caught in this moment. Watching Joker beat Jason, his blood spilling out on the floor. Then something happened that opened everything. Her mother had once told her that some soulmates could talk to each other in times of crisis, and this would count as one. 

She could hear Jason’s voice, ‘please let me pass out, please let me pass out, she doesn’t deserve to see this, please whatever deity might be listening let me pass out!’

Then she heard others in the link, ‘Jay bird! Please tell me you’re there! Little wing I’m trying to get there faster, but you have to wake up. There’s a bomb, you have to get up. Jay you have to get up now! You have to go to the door.’ 

“Jason please! Please wake up. We need you, we need you to wake up. I need you!” Marinette didn’t realise she had spoken out loud, but she would feel that her friends were all holding her. 

‘You don’t really know me, but please live for us. We all need to meet you one day.’

“Jason you have to get to the door.” She was sobbing now.

‘Jay, wake up!’

He started moving, crawling towards the door. For a moment she had hope that he would make it. She could feel everyone pleading with the gods to just get him out of there alive. Then he tried the door, it was locked. He didn’t have enough strength or time to get out of there, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry I never got to love you Marinette.’

If she hadn’t already been in Kim’s lap she would have fallen to the ground. All the energy in her body was gone. It was like a huge chunk of her had been ripped out. 

“Mari, can you hear us?” she heard Alix’s soft voice.

“Netté, we need you to talk to us.”

Her sobs had turned into a hysterical laugh, “he’s dead!” She looked at Nino, still crying but becoming worse by the moment, “the fucking clown killed him!” 

Kim was running his hands through Marinette’s hair, all three of them waited for her to break back down. They had gone through it with Nino, they would be just as steady for Mari. 

After her laughing turned back to sobs Kim wrapped his arms around her again. Holding her tight, “we’re here for you em gái. We’re here.”

“He’s dead… Jay’s dead…” she sniffled turning to press her face into Kim’s chest, “and his last thought was of me.” 

Nino and Alix had moved in and were hugging her now too. “Netté, I promise, it gets easier.”

[vintagegeekculture]

Who are the “Venoms Mob?”

Well, first things first: if you go to China and talk about the 5 Venoms, or the Venoms Mob, they’ll have absolutely no idea who you’re talking about there, because that’s a fandom-term among US Kung Fu cult movie fans.

In Hong Kong, the Venoms are known as director Chang Cheh’s Weapons Expert Troupe, a group of five lifelong friends, martial artists, bodybuilders, exotic weapons experts, and trained acrobats who did at least a dozen movies for manly man Kung Fu director Chang Cheh in the 1970s and 1980s. They were the real deal: they usually choreographed their own fight scenes, which often involved flips and crazy stunts due to their acrobat training, high-wire acts, and unusual and exotic weaponry not typically seen even in martial arts movies. It’s like every single one of them drank the Captain America potion. Their films tended to end in heroic sacrifices, and the Venoms, for all their athleticism and daring, tended to be identifiable people on the bottom end of the societal ladder: homeless drifters, refugees, itinerant hobos, traveling performers, or restaurant workers.

The Venoms were stars in the US, particularly among the black community who love Chinese martial arts movies, not just because of their truly breathtaking skill and choreography, but because they are how most people feel they are, secretly, deep down: rams among sheep. They are the poor, downtrodden, or average person who decides “not to take it anymore” after untold indignities. This is also why the Venoms are especially important to the black community. In fact, if you want to know how much the Venoms mean to their fans, just go up to nearly any Black Dad over 45+ and ask about the “5 Venoms.” 

Chang Cheh, Director of the Venoms

The best way to describe the director and writer of the Venoms films, Chang Cheh is that he is basically Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia if he decided to make Gladiator and loved Sergio Leone and Kurasawa.

The director and writer of the Venoms movies, and maybe the most significant name in the history of Kung Fu cinema apart from Bruce Lee, Chang Cheh was towering enough that Quentin Tarantino dedicated Kill Bill Part 2 to Chang Cheh in the closing credits. It would not be inaccurate to say he invented the Kung Fu movie as we know it, with its training montages, mentor-student relationships, all cut with themes of vengeance, noble self-sacrifice, and rebellion of poor and ordinary people against unjust authority.

Chang Cheh’s life story is fascinating. His father was a warlord during the Republican Era between the World Wars, which must have made for an interesting school career day. He started as a film critic and became a screenwriter, then from being a screenwriter, became a director. I wonder if that is the reason that Chang Cheh was so fascinated by themes of masculinity and male bonding, as the arty, openly gay movie critic son of a central Asian warlord had a nearly impossible standard of masculinity to live up to.

The two Western movies that are, thematically, the closest to Chang Cheh are Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan, and if you like both of those movies, you’ll probably like him. His heroes are often James Dean-like angry young men, poor and at the outskirts of society. His movies tend to end in heroic self-sacrifice for a noble cause, and tend to have themes of vengeance, arty blood red slaughter, and a distrust of authority and government of any kind. He loves bloodshed and thinks violence is beautiful; an image that comes up often is someone in an all white outfit that gets covered in blood, an arty view of violence similar to his two biggest influences, Sergio Leone and Kurosawa. Like the Shawshank Redemption, Chang Cheh movies are essentially ensemble pieces about the friendships and close comradely bonds of brotherhood between men. Very few women of any kind have extensive speaking parts in his movies.

Another movie that also summarizes Chang Cheh would be 300. Remember that Sarah Silverman bit where she said that “300 is the answer to the question, how gay is this movie on a scale of 1 to 10?” Not just because it is about an entirely male cast, or about finding fulfillment in noble self-sacrifice and heroism Alamo-style against desperate odds, but also because it’s about glorifying the male body, with tons of abs and pecs. I suppose I should mention here that Chang Cheh’s movies are profoundly homoerotic, and discussion of their homoeroticism is the major way film academics talk about these movies. How many scenes in Cheh’s movies are about dudes hanging out with their shirts off, flexing their muscles? Or about “brothers” who clasp each other on the shoulder while looking longingly into each other’s eyes in a shot-reverse shot? The only meaningful relationship in his movies are male ones. I dislike passing on cheap gossip, but by all accounts it’s actually an open secret in the Hong Kong film industry that Chang Cheh was homosexual and lived with other men. 

Yi Kuang -Screenwriter of the Venoms

The screenwriter of nearly all the Venoms movies, much like Chang Cheh, Yi Kuang had an interesting life. He was a Communist Party officer who went to Inner Mongolia, where his primary job was writing death sentences for landlords. Once idealistic, he left disillusioned with the Chinese Communist Party, and a remained a die-hard anticommunist. Evil bureaucrats tend to show up in his stories often for that reason, and a common theme of his scripts is the anger of ordinary people against distant, unapproachable authorities. There’s no understanding Venoms films without their screenwriter. Chang Cheh started as a screenwriter and wrote his movies, but Yi Kuang was his most frequent partner.

Interestingly, Yi Kuang got famous long after for writing a series of supernatural and horror novels called the Mr. Wisely books, where a traditional Chinese medicine expert fights for sites of power charged with Feng Shui. It’s interesting to see his turn to the supernatural, sorcery, and ghosts as an overreaction to his distaste for Marxist materialism. Of all the Venoms films, the one that shows his influence the strongest was the one the Venoms fight an evil human sacrifice devil cult, Masked Avengers. 

The Hero – Kuo Chui

A guy with a big smile and a body carved out of marble, Kuo Chui started as a circus acrobat before becoming a stuntman and then a leading actor. He was the Venom with the strongest and most natural screen presence, the one that was the most “movie star.” In fact, he was almost always the hero and central character of Venoms movies, usually playing the most levelheaded and strategic minded of the group.

Kuo Chui deserves some credit also for being the one Venom to actually direct a movie himself, Ninja in the Deadly Trap. This sounds like a heck of a leap, but in Hong Kong, nearly all choreographers also direct their fight scenes. It’s no surprise that a common career path in Hong Kong cinema is to go from choreographer to director (see also Chang Cheh’s ex-choreographers, Tang Chia and 36 Chambers director Liu Chia Liang)

 The Bad Guy – Lu Feng

Every single movie, Lu Feng was the heel, the bad guy. I mean, heck, in Shaolin Rescuers, he even played the evil apprentice of the supreme supervillain of the martial arts, Pai Mei! But no matter what, Lu Feng was just so cool that you couldn’t help but root for him just a little bit. He was a character type common in pro wrestling: the arrogant “cool heel,” like Rick Flair and the Horsemen. 

The Venoms tended to be workaday regular poor guys, but Lu Feng usually played a rich guy who oozed arrogance and menace, rather like the evil rich football player heel in college movies. 

 The Funny Guy – Chiang Sheng

A guy who usually played the funny young hero or a wisecracking comedy sidekick prone to wiseassery and pratfalls, Chiang Peng was the Venom who most benefited from the rise of Jackie Chan, and his introduction of silent film era inspired physical comedy into the otherwise stale Kung Fu film. Like Robin Williams, Chiang Shiang was someone who made everyone else laugh, but because he had a lot of darkness inside him, which ended up killing him. Chiang Sheng is the only Venom to not be with us, he drank himself to death after his divorce in 1991. Because of this, there can never really be a full Venoms reunion.

One of the most amazing things about Hong Kong cinema in the 70s is that the actors tended to have scraggly teeth that aren’t perfect and that seemed to be Chang Shieng’s defining trait. To be clear, I am not in any way mocking him for having bad teeth. In fact, I think it is rather winsome and endearing, like a teenager with braces.

 The Tough Guy – Lo Meng

Known as the “Shaolin Hercules,” the person I’d compare Lo Meng to is Mr. Worf. Ultra-strong, humorless, intimidating, dead serious and never smiling, he was by far the most muscular and powerful of the Venoms, with tons of machismo and swagger, “big dick energy” as the kids say today. The camera tends to linger on his oiled up biceps and chest in extreme close-up…but was also, usually, the first to die in nearly all of these films. Much like how Worf was the toughest guy ever, but usually got beat up a lot so the writers could show that the situation was serious. In fact, Lo Meng, still in great shape, was in Ip Man 4, where, not one to break with a tradition, he was the first guy to get his ass beat in the film, even in a movie made in the Year of Our Lord 2020.

Lo Meng tends to be the “backup main hero” and was even the main character in films like 2 Champions of Shaolin. He had the most impressive “solo” film career apart from the other Venoms. Like Geri Halliwell, he left the Venoms to do his own thing, which is why the defining trait of the later Venom films is that he wasn’t there. 

Lo Meng wasn’t Taiwanese like the other Venoms, and was a native of Hong Kong. In fact, he got his start in the film industry not as a stuntman or muscleman, but as an accountant for the Shaw Brothers studios, and he lifted weights and did Praying Mantis Kung Fu as a hobby. That’s…that’s hilarious. Reminds me of that fake Simpsons movie, Undercover Nerd with Renier Wolfcastle:

 The Wild Card – Chun Shieng

Would YOU trust this man? I wouldn’t. He betrayed the Toad!

That’s Chun Shieng for you, the wild card Venom who could “go either way” and so wasn’t an entirely trustworthy ally.

Allow me to correct a misconception I’ve seen in a lot of places: Chun is sometimes known as “the one Korean Venom.” He isn’t Korean but Chinese, but he was trained in Korea and is a Tae Kwon Do expert, unlike the other Venoms, who studied Chinese Kung Fu and Peking Opera. And it certainly shows: he always fights with a kick-heavy Tae Kwon Do style that does not look much like any Kung Fu at all.

[miraclekittyandbug]

Ten Questions With A Twist Chapter 4

Here’s the next chapter! We’re now more than halfway through the series now, and WOW this is an eventful chapter. 

I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to give me a follow and let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!

~ Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3 ~ This Chapter ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6 ~ Chapter 7 ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night was cool, simply a perfect patrol night. Ladybug had gotten to their spot on the Eiffel Tower first, leaving Chat to find her looking very frustrated. 

“What's wrong, Bug? Didn’t get a chance to ask any of those questions today?”

She huffed. “Well I managed to get one answer, but I need to figure out a better way to go about this. The way it was asked today isn’t gonna work for the whole list.”

Chat was startled. Had she overheard Alya ask her the vacation question? He took his seat next to Ladybug. “You could get a friend to help you out.”

Ladybug looked surprised, but quickly covered it up. “Yeah? And what would I tell this friend? ‘Oh yeah, my crime fighting partner thinks that he knows the answers to these questions that I have to ask this boy I like’? No chance. I’ll have to find a different approach.”

“Asking questions shouldn’t be too hard. They’re also pretty easy getting-to-know-you questions. If you know him well enough, he shouldn’t find it too difficult to believe you want to get to know him better.”

Ladybug’s face lit up with a revelation. “I’ve got it! Thanks, Chat. I’ll have all the answers soon enough. And that means you’ll finally have to admit that puns are terrible.”

“Alas, my lady, the only thing you’ll be winning is a date with me! I can just see it now: You, me, a high-up rooftop, and a romantic meal prepared by some of the finest cooks in the city.”

“We’ll see about that, kitty. For now, though, the rooftops of Paris are calling our names. Shall we?”

“After you, my lady.”

The roofs and balconies of the city felt the footprints of two heros, but Chat could only pray that soon enough, he would be sharing a date with the love of his life- out of the masks they wore. 

Despite the confidence he showed his lady as Chat Noir, Adrien only became more and more unsure of himself as the night progressed into the next day. And so, Adrien went to school without the usual pep in his step. He could practically feel his lady getting further and further away from him, all the while she was growing closer and closer to the person she actually loved. He felt like a fool. He had let a single coincidence go to his head and went on assuming that he could be the person his lady adores. He went and gave Ladybug questions that were designed to make her fall more in love with him, he just hadn’t considered that it wouldn’t be Adrien she was falling in love with.

He managed to meander his way through the first half of his classes, only half paying attention. At some point he vaguely remembered agreeing to have lunch with Nino, who had agreed to have lunch with his girlfriend, who was invited by Marinette.  Lunch continued to bore him, only bringing his thoughts of his lady and another man closer to the front of his mind. It wasn’t until about twenty minutes into their meal that Marinette finally said something that interested him.

“Hey, guys, I found this cool questionnaire, you wanna answer it with me?” Affirmations came from everybody at the table, including a casual shrug from Adrien. Definitely not the questions I want to hear. But anything to keep my mind away from the obvious.

“Alright,” She started, sitting up straighter and clearing her throat, “If you were stuck on an abandoned island, what three things would you bring?”

Adrien’s heart stopped. That was his question. One of them anyway. And for the second time this week, he started to try to talk himself out of being excited. Because those questions that he had given Ladybug, they were pretty basic questions. Questions that would be found in a million other places for much the same reason. But everybody was staring at him and he suddenly feared that he had thought all of those thoughts out loud. 

“What about you, Adrien?” Marinette asked, looking concerned that her friend had zoned out so quickly.

“Easy. You three. Who would want to go it alone?” His answer was honest, for the most part. In reality, he would never be able to choose just three people. While his friend group meant the world to him, he would be lost without his Ladybug. 

Marinette put her hand over her heart and sighed, but Alya quickly cleared things up, “You would just want us there so we can show you how to build a tent.”

They all chuckled and Marinette continued, “What’s your favorite animal?”

“Fox!” Alya said, though Marinette didn’t seem too surprised.

Nino chimed in, saying he liked monkeys a lot growing up, but he much preferred turtles now. 

“Cats,” Adrien heard himself respond, but his mind was elsewhere. Suddenly, he wished he had paid more attention in math class. If I were asked three questions over the last two days, what’s the probability that all three would match up with three of the ten questions I gave ladybug? Three doesn’t go into ten evenly, and should I take into account the trains leaving opposite sides of town travelling at different speeds somewhere in America?

“Okay,” Marinette said, keeping one eye on Adrien, “And if you could have any pet in the world?”

“Well that’s just the same question twice,” Alya pointed out.

“Not really,” Nino interjected, “I’d rather have a dog than a turtle. Dogs travel better.”

Adrien had to hold onto the table, for fear of falling out of his chair. “I’d definitely get a pet cat. A black one. I’d name it The Plague.”

“That’s a sick name, dude,” Nino approved, “What about you, Marinette?”

“Hamster. But I wouldn’t mind a black cat for myself.” She paused, but when it didn’t seem that anybody else would add anything, she continued questioning. “What is your biggest fear?”

Adrien mumbled, “This. Right here, right now, these specific questions, in this exact scenario.” 

“What was that, dude?” Nino asked. 

Adrien just looked at him with a hollow look in his eyes, “I, uh, I said my worst fear is working for my father for the rest of my life.” 

Marinette could barely be heard, “That’s… heartbreaking, Adrien.” The others just watched as Adrien tried to lighten the subject.

“Nah, that’s just my worst fear. It’s not what’s gonna happen.” He managed to focus on making eye contact with Marinette, “There’s nothing on that list about dream jobs, is there?” He hoped aloud.

“Actually, there is! What is your dream-”

“And THAT’S where I’m calling it in,” Adrien mumbled, his eyes bulged out of their sockets and he took a deep breath that filled his cheeks. He stood and started to walk away. “Alright, guys, I’m not feeling well, I need to leave. Right now. Immediately. Thank you. Goodbye.”

He was halfway across the courtyard in under thirty seconds. He ducked into a doorway and opened his shirt so he could see Plagg in his pocket, who was laughing incessantly.

“I don’t see what’s so funny, Plagg!”

“I do!” his Kwamii stated, “I think you found your girl!”

“Who, Marinette? No she can’t be Ladybug.”

Plagg’s face fell. “Why not?”

“Marinette is just a friend.” Plagg paused for a split second to stare at his chosen, then started laughing even harder. Adrien was about to tell him to quiet down when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He closed his shirt and whirled around, surprised, but not too surprised to see that Marinette had followed him. 

“Hey, Marinette!” Adrien put on his best “everything is fine” face, but even he could tell he wasn’t pulling it off. 

“Hey, Adrien. Are you okay? Over the course of, like, one minute your face lost all of its color.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he responded, “I just don’t feel well all of a sudden.”

Marinette made a face of understanding, but eventually spoke, “Are all these questions rubbing you the wrong way?”

Adrien was in shock. Not just from the questions, but from the company in which he answered them and the honest concern he felt from Marinette. Shit, maybe he did like Marinette as more than a friend. That thought alone freaked him out. How could he love two people at the same time? He didn’t think he was polyamorous, and thinking on that further, he was certain he wasn’t. He didn’t want two girlfriends, he just wanted one. Whether it was Marinette or Ladybug that he wanted, well that was too much to think about.

Before he could consider how to respond, Marinette interrupted his thoughts.

“Yeah, I just, my friend and I made this bet. This friend thinks they know all your answers to these questions-,”

Adrien was sure there was an end to that sentence, but he didn’t hear it.

Suddenly everything made sense. Her obsession with akumas. Always disappearing around the same time he did. The similar times of their arrivals to the site of the akumas. It could only be one person.

“Alya,” he said, breathless. 

“What?”

Adrien responded, “What?” He mentally slapped himself. Of course it wasn’t Alya. Jeez, she had been akumatized! She had been used as bait for an akuma. Adrien must have been losing his mind. But even though he guessed wrong, he was on the right track. Whoever Marinette’s friend was, had to be Ladybug!

I guess it isn’t true that opposites attract, he thought, those two are so similar.

“So who is it?”

Marinette seemed confused, “Who is Alya?”

“No!” he corrected, “Who’s this friend? The one with all the answers.” 

“Oh,” Marinette panicked. She didn’t seem prepared to answer this question, which only solidified Adrien’s belief that this friend was his Lady. “I actually don’t know his name.”

Adrien blinked through his confusion. That was odd. He and Ladybug had talked about this before. Ladybug was born a woman. She identified as a woman, as well. So was Marinette trying to protect Ladybug’s identity? Pretending that her friend was a man? Smart, he guessed, just very confusing.

Marinette seemed to notice that he hadn’t responded, so she continued, “Yeah, we’re actually…. Internet friends! Yeah, we’re friends on an internet. The internet. An internet site. Yeah. We go by screennames, that’s all.” Adrien found that explanation to be a little too convenient. 

“Oh yeah? And what do you call this… boy?”

Her face drained of color, but she choked out her reply, “Black cat.”

A moment of silence later, Adrien replied. “What?”

“You know, that’s the, um, American, er English, for Chat Noir. He’s English. Well, he speaks English, he is… American.”

No… Adrien thought, But that would mean… no way!

“What’s the bet?” he asked, surprised at how sure he was.

“Oh, that? He thinks he knows all your answers to these questions. And if he wins,” she quickly added, “which he won’t! If he wins then I have to go on a date with him.”

Adrien couldn’t seem to think properly, but he was slowly realizing that his ‘liking two girls at the same time’ problem might not be much of an issue. “A date. Him and you? You specifically?”

“Yeah,” Marinette shrugged, “It’s just a stupid bet, but he seems really certain that he’ll win.”

“Well, if he does win,” Adrien sighed, letting his shoulders drop and his eyes glass over, “Then he is one lucky guy.”

Marinette stared at him. Adrien enjoyed their first bit of real eye contact. Normally looking somebody in the eyes was nerve-racking, but when those eyes were that specific shade of blue? He noticed how comforting they were. He realized maybe why. 

Because those eyes weren’t just the blue of his friend who sat behind him and always had his back in his everyday life. They were also the blue that had his back in combat. That sat with him all night long when he didn’t know which way was up. That made him laugh under the stars when he couldn’t find the humor in life anymore. All of the times he came home to a cold house with no family, he felt lonely despite his friends at school. And on those days, blue eyes, the same ones that were in front of him right now, sat with him on a ledge of the Eiffel Tower and talked with him until he felt whole again.

Marinette’s face went pinker than pink instantly. Adrien enjoyed seeing Ladybug like this. Not just with a blushing face, though he liked that too. He liked seeing Ladybug whole. All of her. Without the masks, she could actually be herself, all of herself with him. 

They stood there, both speechless, for what felt like an eternity. And then… the bell rang. Signaling the end of their lunch period. Adrien just chuckled, but his crime-fighting partner was still frozen. Alya walked up to the pair and Adrien just shrugged. Alya took Marinette’s shoulder and ushered her away. Nino did the same with Adrien, but he couldn’t pay much attention to the conversation his friend was trying to start. 

His world had just changed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

There ya go! Only three chapters left and next chapter is one for the history books! Stay tuned!

~ Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3 ~ This Chapter ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6 ~ Chapter 7 ~

[haravath0t]

A Christmas Heist Pt. II - Going Undercover

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: None, except an asshole Santa Claus, an immense word count, and a cute elf!Bucky

A/N: Hello, lovelies! Yikes, a day late. I’m very very sorry for putting this out later than said on the masterlist of this mini-series! Now, we are starting the mission, so things will be tense from here on out! I gotta thank my fabulous Bucket @world-of-aus for once again helping me with this one! As I’ve said before, this request is pushing out of my comfort zone and is helping me shape how I would like to write for mission-related works such as these! I apologize for this part being long, as I wanted this to capture the essence of the first day on site. As always, feedback and commentary are very much appreciated! Happy reading, lovelies! :)

My pinned masterlist can be found here!

A Christmas Heist Masterlist

You got out of the car with Bucky, having decided that it was best that you two came to the mall roughly the same time, while Steve would go sooner to the Apple Store. You took a breath as you waited for your boyfriend, adrenaline was already surging through your body, looking around for safety. 

“Alright, so like we discussed, sweetheart, you’re going in first. I’ll wait 5 minutes before you come in,  I’ll do a quick little floor check on the mall before “working” with you.” 

“Uhuh..”

“And then we’ll-”

Bucky’s words slowly fade away, leaving you with your thoughts. Would this be foolproof? What if you accidentally slip? How many casualties would be counted should the worst of the worst-

“You alright, doll? You seem to be a bit nervous.” 

You jump slightly, blushing as realized you were the one up in your head this time, sending your boyfriend a small smile. “Yeah, I’m ready. Just a tad nervous, Buck… worrying about you ya know,” you say, putting your earpiece on your ear, fixing your hair so it’s further hidden. 

Bucky looks around a bit, making sure no one was there before cupping your cheeks to press his lips quickly to yours, giving you a reassuring kiss. “Come back to me, Y/N. You’re like a million miles away up in that head of yours,” he mutters, a hint of smile forming into your lips as he repeats your words from last night. That smile grew when you felt his smile form on your lips. “Mmm.. I know I know… I just don’t want to hurt anyone during this assignment.” You admit softly into his lips before he pulls away completely, rubbing your arms for comfort. 

“You, Steve, and I are trying our hardest to avoid that, sweetheart. Like you said, it’s not the first time we’ve done this. We’ll be okay, just one step at a time.” This made you more confident than you were a few minutes ago. “One step at a time,” you repeat back more firmly with a nod. 

“That’s my girl.” Giving Bucky's hand one final squeeze was enough to get you moving forward, a silent promise shared between the two of you that you would meet inside soon.

It’s quiet when you enter the mall, there’s not the usual hustle and bustle of what you were normally used to, but then again you were in this mall for an all too different reason other than leisure. This was for work, you repeat to yourself, looking around as you see employees make their own way to their respective stores alongside you, minding their own business. You are merely early. This is what the average person does when they go to work, you tell yourself. Well that is where the problem lies. You are more than just the average person, for your job had people’s lives at stake. 

Bringing a hand up you pushed the comm further into your ear, head ducking slightly as you continued to walk the quiet plaza, “I’m in,” you murmured before you were straightening out eyes straight ahead as you continued to your destination. It was a minute, maybe two before you heard Bucky's deepened voice come through, “Right behind you, meet you in a few.”Those are the last few words you hear from him as you approach the toy store, “Visual on y/n,” you hear Steve’s voice come through. This made you jump in surprise, eyes darting to the Apple Store across you, only to see Steve wiping down the glass windows. A subtle wink gets thrown at you paired with a small reassuring smile, with you exchanging it before his eyes are returning back to the task at hand.

Glancing away you look up at the toy stores sign before looking at the double glass doors. Breathing in deeply you braced yourself. You guys could do this, you were trained agents, you could do this. Moving forward you’re pushing through the glass doors, from what you can see the store is fairly empty aside from the rows upon rows of toys that sat all around you. An overwhelming feeling hits you as you pause mid step in the doorway. 

It was a beautiful sight to see, one that was truly a child’s paradise, for your eyes wandered all over the place in awe. There was a toy train chugging around the store, a big looking plastic house for kids to play in, a Christmas village display, stuffed toys, toys for toddlers, toys for kids, everything one can dream of. Wonderful aisles of toys surrounded many displays in an organized fashion. You realized this would be so crowded within an hour, hence why it was a good spot for Hydra to carry out their plans here. Such a shame that horrid people would take advantage of a wonderful place like this for their own benefit. However, you looked to your left, seeing the place where the mall Santa Claus would be. You then looked through the window, seeing the Apple Store in clear view. No wonder Santa’s chair was where it was. Noted, you say in your head before wandering around the Toy Store, looking for the manager. 

“Never been in a toy shop before?”

A quiet gasp leaves your lips as your eyes dash to the middle of the aisles. A burly man stands there almost leaning against the shelf as he takes your form in, eyeing your bundled self up and down.

You hold back the shudder that threatens to roll through you. Pulling on a tight lipped smile you finally find your voice, “Not necessarily that I haven’t been in one before, just haven’t quite seen one like this, it’s lovely,” you replied.

The man moves forward, almost as if he’s coming from the shadows, “You must be the new hire,” he grins, “Now tell me where did they find a Mrs. Claus as gorgeous as yourself.”

Oh god.

“I can assure you looks had nothing to do with it,” you ground out, “personality on the other hand well -” The man’s toothy smile grows wider as he steps closer, your fingers itching to find the comm hidden in your ear. “I think I’ll have plenty of time to get to know that personality of yours -- Mrs. Claus.”

“Is that how you talk to all your female coworkers?” came his voice from behind you, an edge to his tone. You tried your hardest not to tense up, as you recognized the voice, hoping that you two would not look suspicious or that you knew each other. The man in front of you looked over your shoulder with a raised brow, “And you are?” Bucky moved around you, body unknowingly shielding yours from the man in front of you. 

Hand stuck out he replies, “Buddy, Buddy the elf.”

Your childish side gets the best of you, a choked snort leaving your mouth and raised eyebrows wrinkle your forehead, clearing your throat as the burly man scoffs at your boyfriend before he shakes Bucky’s gloved hands. You hoped that they would not recognize him, watching their interaction carefully. 

“Mmm… I see… you’re the new hire for the...elf… playing like a smart ass already, huh? Not sure if the manager would like that.” The man tests, letting go of Bucky’s hand and crossing his arms, eying Bucky in a judgmental manner. A small smirk graces Bucky’s lips as his hands are now back in his pockets. “I assure you, I’m going to do my job correctly and won’t cause the store any problems. But, I think the manager will not enjoy hearing that you are hitting on an employee, or possibly hitting on a customer, as Santa Claus.” He retorts back. All of the tension that has been built was then forced to be forgotten when the manager greets you three. 

“Good morning, Brock! I see you have met our newbies!” The manager exclaims, arms opening wide in a welcoming manner before he claps his hands together. You resisted widening your eyes, for you have heard of this name before. Some uncertainty came back to your mind, then. Brock can only grunt and nod, “Yes I did, sir.” As he glares at Bucky as Bucky shakes the manager’s hand and stares at you as you follow suit, he couldn’t help but feel something off. But what exactly was off? He decided to wave it off, for it could possibly be just the cockiness of this new worker. You on the other hand, gives him a perfect opportunity to perhaps get to know you better. You were far from bad looking and seemed naive first glance. He could deal with that, he concluded to himself, lost in his own thoughts as the manager showed the two of you around the store. Rumlow scoffed at himself before he went off to put his suit on. 

It was not too long until the manager finished going over the respective jobs with you and Bucky. It eased your nerves knowing all you had to do was be nice with kids under a costume. It eased you even more knowing that this Rumlow guy leaves immediately after shift. You held your costume and wig, making your way to the women’s locker room to get dressed, only to be stopped by the manager. 

“I hate to put this on you and George, Mary,” the manager starts, addressing your guys’ undercover names. “But do you think you and George can put up more decorations in the later part of your shift? We want to add a more Christmas spirit to this store, and the hours to see Santa today ends a good two hours before the closing of the store.” 

“A-alrigh-”

“Oh! And you’ll be an elf too, so you can have a good reason to decorate without sticking out like a sore thumb, you know? Would ya look at that, Buddy the Elf with a partner right?”

Wait a minute, Fury did not tell you this part. You knew playing Mrs. Claus was going to be a big stretch, but Mrs. Claus and an elf?! You can hear Steve fail terribly at refraining from letting out a little snort. Cool reference to Elf, I love George’s creativity, it’s such a good idea, and here in New York too!” The manager exclaims excitedly, only receiving a tight lipped smile in return from you. “Then… I’ll be Jovie,” you manage to squeak out, before the manager exits. You groan to yourself before you change into your first costume of the day. 

Although it was quite draining to deal with many fussing kids, your time as Mrs. Claus went by smoothly, for you found satisfaction in helping these kids have a happier holiday meeting Santa and his Mrs. Sadly, it was hard to find out where to find this hard drive on Steve’s end of the assignment, but Fury was right, for the gaze of this Santa Claus was for the most part fixed right on the Apple Store. He would find time between kids to murmur some quick orders or questions into his own comms, trusting the bustle of the store to deafen his conversation. However, you were able to hear some words leave his mouth, always making a personal note to hear him better later and to not make that mistake during Santa hours. Sadly, the search will have to continue tomorrow.

You were now dressed in your elf costume, the label Jovie now pinned on your costume (haha..) as you set up a ladder next to the big Christmas tree in the middle of the store. After some pictures, you finally had time to do what was asked of you. You were focused on your work until…

“You are very good at decorating that tree.” 

You look behind and below at your boyfriend, laughing as you take in his cute green elf uniform and his tights. Your laugh only got less contained from there, as you realized his muscular thighs are definitely being shown and the top does not hide his muscular torso either. His gloved hands were now on his sides with a small playful scowl as you had to put the ornament down from laughing too hard.

“Oh, that’s no way to treat Buddy the Elf.”  

“It’s just… it’s just too funny!” You say between laughs, causing Bucky to smile before decorating the tree alongside you. As you two decorate, you managed to make a compromise with the manager, allowing yourselves to show up to the store earlier than everyone to have the rest of the store decorated. With that being said, to your luck, the manager gave you both a copy of the key to the store by the end of the shift. Very lucky. You both walked out on separate times to the car, carrying out the bags with the uniforms that you both got today. You still did not let go of the elf costume, laughing much harder in the car on the way back to the apartment complex.

“Y/N, sweetheart, you don’t see me laughing at your costume!” 

“Yeah, because I’m cute in it at the very least!” “I agree, but-”

“BUT MAN, THAT ELF COSTUME WAS JUST TOO FUNNY! Cute, but funny! Like who ever sees a brawny man play Buddy the freaking Elf?!”

“At least I don’t have to pretend to have wrinkles going in as Mrs. Claus!”

“Fair point.”

Steve met with you two at yours and Bucky’s apartment for dinner, having paid for takeout. “No luck with the hard drive unfortunately. I don’t even know where to start.” Steve sighs. “Well it’s not like you would, punk. That place looks big, and if the toy store’s back room is huge, I am sure Apple does too.” Bucky replies with a shrug finishing the last of his food. “Well, Buck and I have the excuse to come early to decorate. The manager gave us a copy of the key. Hopefully, we can find some leads from Rumlow’s locker. Although I doubt it, it can’t hurt to try.” You reply. Steve only nods, staying quiet as he finishes his food and throws the trash away. He was thinking. 

“Alright, Rogers, I know you have something in your mind, so spill,” You push, leaning over against the table with a raised brow. Steve couldn’t help the smirk that formed on his face. 

“A key too, huh?” 

“What do you mean a key too, punk?” Bucky asks with a chuckle. 

“I got one for the Apple Store too,” Steve replies with a smile, taking it out of his pocket and holding it up. 

“Already?! But that’s Apple Steve, you’re new!” You start, cutting off when Steve stays quiet. 

“Steven Grant Rogers don’t tell me that you stole it-” 

“We are not stealing, we’re borrowing, doll, now hear me out,” Steve cuts you off with a firm tone. You could only gawk at him in surprise and cross your arms. “Alright I’m impressed. So what are we doing?” Steve smiles. 

“Alright, we’ll make it a point to go early tomorrow. All of us. You do a run through of the locker room and watch out for any leads. I’ll look around Apple too. We’ll go from there as we go along.” 

A nod of approval comes from you and Bucky, an excited smile coming from Bucky. You couldn’t help but giggle as you fully processed what measures Steve already took on his first day in, giving you nothing to do but shrug.

“Well I guess that settles it. Let’s rest up. We got quite the next few days coming up.”

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Part 3: Digging Deeper